Where are you ryo? Part -1
by dreamykid99
Summary: Ryo is heart broken since death of Kaori. He no longer works as City Hunter. Can he nab Kaori's assailants?
1. Chapter 1 : Where are You Ryo?

Nogami looked around almost everywhere around Shinjuku, but the person she was looking for, was nowhere to be seen. He became absonant after that incident a year ago… Nogami sighed as she returned to her police station in Shinjuku. Its been a long time since the City Hunter did his last job. The crime here seems to have hiked suddenly, and without him, its almost impossible to nab the wrongdoers and punish them for their fault. After that incident his indecency gradually reduced and presently speaking, its come to a perfect stop! Nogami thought in her mind "This is not the Ryo I knew. This is not him…. This can't be him! A Ryo who doesn't go hunting for beautiful girls in his free time, is not like him at all! and now to add up to the problem, Kaori san's…" The thoughts that followed it, sent a shiver though the spine of the Chief of Shinjuku police station. "No, I must find him and tell him the news. Although I don't really know if I will be alive after telling him this, I must tell him still. He has the right." She thought, and bolted off from the police station again, leaving the officer standing beside her, in a bit of astonishment as to the whereabouts of her journey. Umibozu and his wife Miki were talking about the present change in Ryo's mental condition in the Cat's Eye café when suddenly Nogami Saeko barged in. Miki was taken aback, but Umibozu was not even least concerned. It seemed that nowadays, his blindness have sharpened his other senses to their height. He spoke in a reserved tone "What are you doing in my café at this hour of the night, Saeko? I must say that I did not expect you to barge in here like that. What is the matter? Why are you panting? Is everything alright? And where is that idiot? I haven't seen him since the past week. Do you know anything what he is up to?" Saeko sat on one of the chairs in the café in horror. "So he isn't here either. Where are you Saeba Ryo? Just where are you? Damn it. ", she thought to herself. As if in a trance, Umibozu seemed to know exactly what was going on in her mind. He asked "So you do not know where he is either. Am I right?" She could not take any longer. She sat down on the nearby chair, covered her face in the palm of both her hands and said "Kaori San ….. ". The name alone seemed to change the environment astoundingly! Both Umibozu and Miki held sullen expression on their faces, Umibozu's jaw hardened, and his grip on the clay cup he was holding, tightened. Miki affectionately kept her hand on Saeko's head, "Tell us everything", she told. Saeko decided that it was time to tell them something which she had kept from them since about a year, something which is the cause of the present condition of Shinjuku, something which they deserve to know, and above them, the person she was looking for, Saeba Ryo. "Here I am, waiting for you Kaori. I know you can't leave me, I just know. I don't believe what Umibozu, Miki and Saeko say. Please come back to me, please. I will not look at any other woman even if I get a mokkori seeing them, I promise. Now just come back, Kaori. Its been a year since you….", Ryo's thoughts were cut short as he came back from the wonderful land of dreams, to the hard soil of reality. He wiped off the tear and looked at the beautiful sunset from the top floor of the skyscraper. This tower is deserted. No one practically comes here except him. There was a time when this terrace used to be his unofficial home, but that was before Kaori came in his life. He was a vagabond then, alone with his Colt python 0.37 and no one else in the whole world. After he met Kaori, his life changed. His views towards humanity, changed, and so did his behavior. He was alone before, not knowing whom to trust, but after meeting her, he had friends. Friends whom he could rely upon, friends who would sacrifice even themselves for him. Kaori herself was one such friend, but as time passed by, Ryo still don't understand how she fell for Kaori. Kaori was a tomboyish girl in her early twenties when he first saw her in a clinic. Dr. Hanazano's clinic, he still remembers the name. That old doc! After being knocked unconscious getting badly hurt from a fight, he was taken to the clinic by Kaori who found her bleeding on the street. Her brother Hideyuki Makimura was a police officer. Till then Ryo didn't have an identity of his own. Kaori cured him up, and as soon as he was fit enough to walk, he escaped the clinic. He still remembers the sad face of Kaori he saw through the window of the clinic after escaping. Hideyuki was the one who started this City Hunter business which Ryo joined in later as an associate of him. Its aim was to erase crime from Shinjuku. He himself was killed by a gang member of a mafia, but Kaori believed in her brother's morals. She believed that Shinjuku could be a safe place to stay, safe from the mafias and the yakuzas. He brought her here one evening when she was heart-broke hearing the news of Makimura's death. After that evening, she would often come to this terrace and see the sunset with Ryo. She said, "When I am here I feel close to my brother." After Hideyuki's death Kaori moved in with Ryo in Ryo's apartment. Oh what a day it was! Ryo had to do all the shifting, and all she would do was just order him to finish quickly as she had some more works in cue. Ryo's face lit up with a tearful smile as he remembered the days spend with his 'Sugar boy'. Yes, that's what he used to call her. He still remembers how she used to frown on hearing that name. Ryo stands up on his feet and seeing that it was dark, walks towards the lift. "Are you serious?", asked a crimson-faced Umibozu. Enraged as he was, it seemed he is gonna kill Saeko, but he got back his composure. Miki asked with a smiling face and a teary eye "Is this true? Are you telling the truth? But that means Ryo will…", her words were cut short by Umibozu, "You are right Miki san, If Ryo gets to hear this, he is dead. I know him too well. When he can do anything just for his mission, imagine to what extent he can go to, when she is involved." Saeko's eyes darkened with anguish and despair "But where is that Idiot? I need to tell him this so that we get that man who did all this. No one can nab him except Ryo" Umibozu asked in a stone-cold tone "And do you think you will return back alive after he gets to know all this? Do you think you can persuade him not to kill the man? I don't think so. When a person like Ryo can change himself to such an extent that he forgets his mokkori, you should have known that the matter is an extremely serious one. I warn you Saeko not to disclose anything to Ryo now. I will tell him in my way. He won't listen to you. Let me deal with this." Saeko knew that she had no other choice but to accept his offer, so she accepted and got up from the chair and was about to leave when she saw someone enter the café. That physique, that dress, she knew exactly who that is. That is the person she was looking for, the City Hunter Saeba Ryo, also known as Shinjuku's One-Shot-Wolf for his accuracy in shooting. But so astounding a man as Ryo was, he used to be a perfect womanizer, often hitting on girls on the street. It pained her today to see those hollow eyes, even more, when he didn't even try to look at her. He just sat on the chair that was reserved for Kaori San and ordered for Black Kilimanjaro coffee. "Oh man! She still remembers how Kaori used to hat that coffee, and as if this was not enough, he took it black! Only if Kaori was here, she would straightaway hit him with the 1000tn hammer and sent him flying out the door. Only if…", the thoughts stung Saeko herself. It was really painful to see him in such a state. Saeko decided to tell him everything, every information she had gathered so far. Let him be as rough as he wants to be, but after he hears that Kaori san is…" a smile spread across her face and she turned back to face Ryo whose head was sunk in utter sadness and despair. He looked more like a live corpse, brought to life by an exorcist. She was about to blurt it out when she saw Miki looking at her with pleading eyes. Miki waved her head frantically. Saeko understood the sign and left the café. "If Ryo would be in her former self, he would be hard to be avoided." thought Umibozu. He asked Miki to go upstairs and get to bed. Miki obeyed, knowing that her husband is gonna drink with Ryo all the night. Ryo became a nocturnal visitor after Kaori san's…." the thoughts made her sad and she couldn't help but cry seeing a man as Ryo in his present condition. She fell in the arms of Morpheus that night.


	2. Chapter 2 : The Mystery Begins

Part II

Ryo and Umibozu were drinking together like any other night in the past. Unlike Umibozu, Ryo always drinks to his fullest. When he is drunk, he talks his heart out. It's as if he doesn't stay in his senses. Umibozu always listens patiently what this drunk, pauper man has to say. But tonight seemed a bit different, Umibozu was trying to tell something to Ryo. He couldn't muster his courage to bring out the matter until Ryo finally spoke of Kaori like any other night. When he gets drunk, he is an open man. He can't hide his heart from the once-rival, now-friend Umibozu. He never even tries to do so, because this person knows him better than all the persons he is linked with now. Old Doc, Miki, Reika and Nogami. They all know him well, but this man, he knows him better than all others. It's because he was once his rival. He too was an assassin like Saeba Ryo himself, who would kill for money, but its history now. Umibozu and Ryo, now have a friendship that no one can understand. They foul-mouth each other, but in time of need, can even offer their lives for each other. It was Umibozu who first came to know about Kaori. One night like this, when it was raining heavily, Ryo had told him that he liked Kaori. Umibozu initially paid no attention thinking that to be another perverted activity of Ryo. Pervert as he was, one could hardly think that a person like him can commit to a relationship, to a person, above all, to a girl like Kaori who keeps beating the shit out of him! But soon enough, he understood that Ryo really liked Kaori, and he had no bad intention towards her. Umibozu had a soft corner for Kaori knowing that she is an orphan, but after knowing that Ryo was there for her, he was assured that no harm would come towards her. Tonight when Ryo was talking about Kaori, Umibozu felt for the first time in his life, tears falling from the soft eyes of Ryo and his voice was damp with a stored up pain. Never even in his dreams, could Umibozu even think of Ryo crying over anything. He knew him too well for that, and in some areas of life, even envied him. Ryo didn't know about his parents. They died in a plane crash while travelling. Ryo was travelling with them too, in fact he was the sole survivor of the crash. Ryo had seen too many deaths since his childhood. After the crash, he wandered off in the jungle as an orphan, not knowing what to do, what to eat, where to sleep. He was taken in by some tribal guerillas who were having a revolution with the president then. Ryo was forced to go through rigorous training to improve his reflexes and was versed in all kinds of fire arms known to man by them. In fact even Umibozu lacked in reflexes compared to Ryo. There was only one drawback in Ryo's character. His pervertedness and his lecherous activity. One could hardly imagine an astounding person like Ryo to be so irritatingly a pervert! But Umibozu liked him still for he had a pure heart. It caused him great pain tonight sensing him crying for Kaori. He understood his pain all too well and wanted to help him, but he remembered their previous conversation with Saeko and restrained himself to be blown away by emotions. He knows well that if the topic of the conversation leaks here in a careless mind, that person sitting on the chair and drinking to his heart's content being driven by melancholy, can bring a wrath upon the whole of Shinjuku! He would have to be very careful. The whole of Shinjuku is at stake here, one wrong move and he can't secure even his own life against the incidents that will follow after it! "Damn it!" thought Umibozu, "I can't even find a way to start the topic."

"Where are you Ryo?" thought she, "I want to see you again, feel your touch again, above all, hold You again. Where are you?". As she thought all this, there were numerous police inspectors surrounding him. It was like as if she knew this fact and so she blushed deeply.

In the dead of the night, Umibozu was in a mental trauma regarding where to start the conversation from. Ryo was now a completely drunk man, out of his senses. All he spoke of, was about Kaori. How he met her for the first time. How he fell for her simplicity and straight forwardedness. Umibozu got a point to start the conversation "Why don't you forget the past and move on, Ryo? Its been more than a year since that fateful night when Kaori san died saving someone. Move on and save yourself from this depression that is killing you in each and every moment of your life since then. Kaori san would want this too, I'm sure about it, Trust me." Umibozu turned around as he was talking, and what he felt was enough for his legs to shake. Ryo's aura had suddenly changed, it suddenly seemed that he is a completely different man, and the voice he spoke in, further sealed his doubts. His voice was strong, Umibozu couldn't find a bit of remorse, sadness, or grief in that voice. Ryo spoke in a monotonous stone-cold tone that Umibozu didn't hear from him since the last year, "Hayato Ijuin, stay in your limits! Don't ever …. I repeat, EVER, try to come between me and Kaori! I know she will come back! She can't die. She just can't die leaving me alone, and when she comes back, I am gonna interrogate her and find out the man who attempted to kill her and when I do that, he is finished. His fate is doomed. I still don't believe that the corpse I saw back then was of Kaori. It can't be! She has to be alive." Umibozu remembered for the first time after so many years that his name is Hayato Ijuin, this 'Umibozu' name was given to him by Ryo after they had declared a mutual truce between them. "What a profound man Ryo was! He and his .357 Colt Python were a perfect match, and now look at him, merely a shadow of his former self! Damn this thing called Love! It has made both of us incapacitated. We both are now completely defenseless." Thought Umibozu. Still he had to keep this conversation going, so he resumed from where Ryo ended "And what do you think You would do if you ever get him?" With this Question the atmosphere of the room suddenly seemed to have changed, Ryo's aura suddenly turned to that of vengeance. Although Umibozu was blind now, still he could strongly feel the aura of vengeance and hatred that emanated from the man in front of him, but his voice didn't change even a bit. He said in a cold manner which was characteristic of him "Kill him of course. The worst death that any person have got. He just doesn't know who he's messed up with. She was my…." Ryo couldn't complete the sentence, Umibozu stopped him midway, "So why didn't you ever ask Saeko about it? You know, she is a cop, so maybe she knows some information as to the whereabouts of this particular person! Why didn't you give a thought about that?" As this conversation was rapidly drawing to its end, Ryo and Umibozu both became aware of a suspicious identity strolling around the café amidst the night. In spite of being drunk like a pig, Ryo as usual, was steady as hell with his favourite Colt Python. Without wasting a single moment, he nonchalantly fired sitting on the chair itself. Accurate as he was, one could hardly believe that he could miss a single target! And he hit this time too. There was a loud groan heard outside showing that Ryo had succeeded in his attempt. Umibozu, as usual, was as cool as ever, but he could sense that there was a change in Ryo's behavior. He wasn't the man drowned in sorrow and disdain, instead he seemed very much alive suddenly. Its as if he had remembered something that he had forgotten long back. He stood up, waved Good Bye to Umibozu and rushed from the café in the middle of the night. As Umibozu was about to close the counter, he could sense a familiar aura behind him. "So you are awake Miki san? I guess the sound of that idiot's gun must have woke you up from your sleep, isn't it?", he said without looking back. His wife answered in an anxious tone "Yes Falcon, I am awake but where is he headed to at the middle of this night? And what about the sudden change in his behavior? Moreover, how did the conversation go between the two of you? Is he ok? Did you tell him about her?" Umibozu answered in the cold tone as ever "Yes, I did, only that much which he needs to know for the present moment. As to where he is headed now, I have a hunch that he is headed towards Saeko's apartment"


	3. Chapter 3 : The Mystery Continues

At the dead of the night, like any other normal person, Saeko was deep asleep on her bed of her apartment. Never in her mind could she even imagine that someone will come searching for her at this hour of the night. The window pane of her dining was open to allow the gentle breeze of cold air. "Oh, what a peaceful slumber." He thought, and then suddenly a shrill cry echoed through the apartment at the dead of the night, "Hi Saeko Chan!" Saeko sprang from her bed but before she could even draw the revolver from under her pillow, she felt that there was a pair of strong hands that refrained her from moving, one hand encircled her waist, and the other hand was on her mouth, she couldn't speak out. She thought hard, but couldn't think about anything for a few moments, her mind was as blank as a white sheet of paper. Then thoughts started crossing her mind and a smile passed her lips, which turned to a hoarse cry. She sobbed badly. On the other hand, her so-called-kidnapper was a bit surprised with her attitude. With a damp voice and a tearful smiling face, she spoke "After all this time, Ryo? Is that truly you? So you know everything right? Falcon told you everything I guess? I am really sorry Ryo. Please forgive me. Please…" There was no answer. The person, to whom these words were spoken, was busy feeling her butt. Saeko sighed; it's been more than a year since a lady had been assaulted on the streets by this great womanizer. With a smiling face she kicked him straight between his legs. The result was as expected. There was a loud groan heard behind her, and the hands became loose. She turned back, it was really Ryo, but what she felt after that was an embarrassment for her. The lace of her night gown was open, accessing full view to her interiors! The lecher was lying unconscious on the ground after the fearsome attack on his groin. She quickly tied up her night gown. "Oh god, now I'll have to wake him up. It's great to see you so lively after all these days. Welcome back Ryo!" thought Saeko, but then suddenly a thought flickered in her mind – Why is he here at this hour of the night? What did Falcon tell him? When she was moving towards the dining table with a hope of finding a bottle of water in order to revive him back to his senses thinking all these, she suddenly heard his voice again "So how's crime in Shinjuku going? Seems good to me. What about you Saeko?" Saeko knew this voice too well, he isn't the perverted lecher who was lying unconscious on the floor a few moments ago. He is the calculative person, the City Hunter of Shinjuku! Saeko sat on the chair nearby for; she knew now, that there was no need for the water. She didn't even look at Ryo for once; she knew what she has to deal with now. Before she could even say anything Ryo spoke in the same cold manner with the smirk on his lips that was lost from him since the past year "I suddenly remembered something Saeko. And because of that I am here. My last job is still undone. After this, City Hunter will no longer be seen in and around Shinjuku." Saeko was shaking at her knees as she had the faint idea as to what his 'last job' might be. Her fears were proved when he spoke "It was no accident. Was it? She was lured and murdered, right Saeko?" Saeko couldn't speak, neither could she face him, she just nodded her head. "I want to know each and every detail of the incident. I don't care about the way, I just need to know. And the only person who can do this is you Saeko." Saeko sighed. She knew this day would come. She was patiently waiting for this day while preparing herself. She and Ryo both were in a concord for Kaori. She stood up on the chair, opened the small hatch on the wall above the door near the ceiling and drew out a file covered in polythene. She handed the file over to Ryo who was watching her carefully. As soon as he got the file, he opened it with such hastiness that it was evident to Saeko, how impatient he was, to see the details of this case. Never in her life have she seen him in such impatience for anyone or anything. His eyes, the sight of it sent a shiver down her spine. His eyes were burning with sadness and revenge. As soon as he swept a quick eye on the report, his eyes widened. "A 3d hologram projector? Eh? What does that mean? Don't tell me what I'm thinking is right. Ryo's legs shaked, he couldn't stand anymore, he sat on the hassock close by. His head was sunk, his voice was damp, but what Saeko saw, was enough for her blood to curdle. Ryo stood up, his head still sunk, his eyes were even scarier to look at, and for the first time in her life, Saeko saw tears strolling down from his eyes on to the floor. "Mark my words Saeko, Mark them…. That man is gonna pay dearly. I'm gonna give him the most harrowing death ever to be felt by a person. 'Killer: Unknown' you say? I am gonna find him, and when I do, he will regret having born. I promise." After finishing, he broke the apartment door open and stormed down to the street. Saeko couldn't go to sleep anymore. From what she saw, she was sure that a storm was coming over Shinjuku and she knew no way to stop that. She started dressing up as well. She turned her wrist over to see the time on her watch that she wore all the time; '3:22 AM' it showed. "It's nearly dawn" she thought, then hurried down to the street just like Ryo.

One more person was awake that whole night, The Old Doctor of Hanazano Clinic. He was having sleepless nights too just like the others, the reason was a bit different. There was an emergency patient in his clinic, one in a partial coma, brought in by the cops under absolute secrecy. He had no way of avoiding the patient because of his personal reasons too. He was busy reading the progress history of the patient when he heard some people running through the street. He looked at his watch, it showed '3:30 AM.' With each passing second, the sound increased and finally came to a stop at the door of his clinic on the first floor. He looked around, but Tomo Chan was nowhere near. She was seen deep asleep on one of the beds of the clinic. "Ah my dear, so you're here sleeping? Don't mind it, I'll get that" he thought and proceeded towards the door. "Who is it at this hour of the night? What does he want now? Can't I rest even for a minute of the day?" he muttered and opened the door. But what he saw was beyond his imagination! Umibozu, Miki and Saeko were standing behind the door. Miki had a tearful face but it was evident that she was happy. "Doc, they know everything. I've told them everything. Take us there" said Saeko. "So the secret is no longer a secret huh?" he peeked over their shoulders. Umibozu snapped "What are you looking for doc? That idiot has no idea about all this. He is uninvited here. Now kindly take us there." The old doctor's face became grim. He wanted the 'uninvited' to see the patient, but he had no other way. He was strictly forbidden to talk about this patient with anyone. Not even Him. The Old Doctor knew very well how happy he'd be if he knew about this patient but he had no way of giving him this news. With a sad face, he told them to wait. He went in, brought in a key, closed the door behind him carefully such that Tomo Chan mustn't wake up and then led them down to the ground floor through the same stairs that they had climbed to reach him. When they finished climbing the stairs, he led them at the base of the staircase. There was a door seen, he opened it with his own fingerprint and then they all went in


	4. Chapter 4

"Damn it! It seems as if you are close to me. It's as if I can feel you, hear you Kaori. Why do I feel like this? Why am I the only one who doesn't believe that you are no more? Why Kaori? Someone tell me please." thought Ryo who was on the terrace of the deserted building with the file in his hand. The news was already spread, he had his own informers. He wanted the details at any cost. But what surprised him the most was the presence of a small 3d hologram projector at the site of the incidence. He thought over and over in his mind, but couldn't find a single clue. When he was busy thinking all these, suddenly, after about a year, his sixth sense awared him of a danger beforehand. He could see nothing, nor could he feel anything, but suddenly he became aware of a gun being pointed at his head. He bent without a thought and at the same instance a bullet grazed the hem of his blue jacket. He could feel that a gun was aimed at him, but after so long being out of practice, he couldn't tell from where or at what distance the shooter was! He knelt down towards the wall of the terrace, and tried to calm his mind trying to think who could that be? "The night is a dark one still if he can aim so correctly, he must not be an amateur. How did he know that I am here?" thought a surprised Ryo. He looked around and as he saw the bullet on the wall, his eyes widened, and he narrowed his thoughts. "What the heck! The bullet seems to be a simple revolver bullet. It's not something a professional sniper would prefer and that means….. Oh god! That is not a sniper! He is probably a pro at long range shooting with short weapons. And besides if someone is trying to kill me, he must have sent someone who is at par with my accuracy too! But who would that be?" Just then Ryo's ears heard a faint creaking sound from somewhere. He knew that instance, that there was someone in the next to-be-building which is only a construction site at the present moment. But what surprised the City Hunter the most was the difference in height of the two buildings and the angle of impact of the bullet, those two facts just do not match at all.  
After what seemed about an hour, Umibozu, Miki San, Saeko and the Doc came out of the highly secured room, and when they did, each of them seemed contented. Miki San was crying, but the tears were clearly that of joy, and not of sorrow, even the 'All Time rough and tough" Umibozu had a smile that was broadening each moment, and it turned into a hoarse laughter as the door behind them closed. He was laughing and as he did, there were tears in his sightless eyes too. Everyone was happy except Saeko, it seemed that something was bothering her. She held a grim face, and was clenching and relaxing the fingers of her hands spontaneously. It looks like Umibozu sensed that and asked her "Still thinking about that idiot, aren't you Saeko? Told ya, he knows that which he needs to know for the present moment. Let's not hurry. After about a year, at least he is back on work due to her. As the time comes, we will tell him everything. Don't you worry about it. That Bastard needs to be caught and there is no one who can nab him except that idiot. You know that right?" Saeko answered in a complying voice "Yes I do know that Falcon, but I badly wanted him here. God knows how happy he'd be once he would know about all this. I can't see him sad like this anymore, I just can't." Miki interfered "Yes Saeko San, you are right, but have you thought how angry he'd be after you tell him all this? How would you answer his questions? Why is he the only one who doesn't know about all this? Why was all this kept a secret from him? Why is the police inactive about the case? How would you answer all these questions?" Umibozu added "Not only that, he would be furious on you Saeko for not telling him. He wouldn't listen to you that you were searching him to tell him all this. He just won't. So I have a humble advise for you : If you want to live longer and peacefully, don't even think of telling him all this now. I will tell him when the time is right. Besides, as we speak, he is perhaps busy trying to think of a way to get to that person.  
Ryo was on the terrace of the deserted building awake like a cat the whole night. When the first light of dawn broke, he noticed that the creepy sensation of someone aiming at him was gone. So he boldly walked towards the lift door, and after descending down to the street, straightaway headed for Cat's eye café. When he was at a distance and could see the café, he could see something else too. He could see Miki, Saeko and Umibozu entering the café. He didn't have a watch, he never felt the need for one, but he could tell from their faces from even that distance, that they were happy. They were smiling. "Wait, what? Umibozu is smiling? That's a peculiar thing. What's Saeko doing here now? Didn't she sleep in her apartment where I left her? Were they out somewhere at night?" Umibozu and Saeko were smiling and Miki was crying. Ryo hid behind a lamp post, but it seemed that Umibozu had felt his presence from such a distance. Saeko Miki and Umibozu, all are looking towards him. He knew that he was caught, so he thought of making a clean breast of everything. He walked towards them giving them the Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile…. "What's up everyone? Ah, fancy meeting you here Saeko! What are you doing here now? Umibozu, weren't you laughing just a moment ago? What's the matter? Had an awesome mokkori night with Miki San I guess?" Umibozu's face steamed red with embarrassment and within a moment there was a bazooka in his right which he fired at Ryo. Though he was blind, there was no question of a miss at point blank range. Ryo flew high and landed on the other side of the road in front of the café. Somehow this flying and landing seemed familiar to Ryo. His eyes went damp, he recalled how Kaori used to hit her and then it was she again who came in with bandages if Ryo got seriously injured. Ryo got up and sat there itself recalling all these memories. Suddenly he felt a hand on his left shoulder. He turned back and saw Miki San leaning on him and staring at him with her illuminated deep penetrating eyes. For a moment there Ryo forgot his true self and he was on the verge of tears, but in the next moment Miki felt a palm feeling her butt. She shrieked and not long after that Ryo was down again with another kick from Saeko. Umibozu was watching all these, when Saeko kicked Ryo, he quietly went in and made arrangements for coffee. When it was all done, he grumbled "Come in everyone. Miki and Saeko came in but Ryo was nowhere to be seen. Where was he? Umibozu came out of the café, he could sense him sitting on the other side of the road still. "What are you doing there you moron? Come in already and drink like a pig." He shouted. Still there was no reply. It seemed that Ryo was in a deep thought, Umibozu crossed the road and went near to him. Then he heard it…. "Oh my lord, this Idiot is Snoring!" "Hey you Idiot? Come on Get up already, you bag of Dirt!" His Grumpy voice echoed in the air of the fresh and misty morning. Ryo, after hearing this sudden loud voice near his ears, jumped up about 5 feet from the ground, and fell flat again. "Hey you moron, couldn't you be a little more polite?" he whined.


	5. Chapter 5 : The Silver Lining (?)

Part V  
"Does it hurt that much knowing that you had no way of avenging the person you love, Ryo?" asked a serious faced Umibozu. Although he spoke in a casual tone, still the concern was clear from his accent. Ryo said nothing; he just stood up and started walking in the opposite direction. Umibozu stood silently, not even for once did he try to call him back. When he couldn't sense him anymore he returned to his café and joined the others. Saeko and Miki looked at him questioningly; he said that perhaps Ryo had more important work to do other than accompanying them and sipping coffee. Just as he finished talking, he turned back. He could sense someone approaching the café, he even knew who it was, but he waited to see if he was right. As soon as the doorbell rang with a sweet metallic cling, his voice was heard "Hello Doc! As far as I can remember we were at your place not more than 20 minutes ago. What happened that made you running here? And where are your shoes?" Miki and Saeko were looking at the face of the Old Doc, so they did not notice at all that the old man had no shoes on his feet. The person, to whom these questions were asked, was busy getting his breath back. Umibozu silently kept a glass full of water on the counter which he finished in one gulp. After getting his breath back, he spoke in a serious tone which was very much uncharacteristic of him "Where is he?" he asked. All the other three persons were silent. Now the doctor was furious, "For Heaven's sake, tell me where he is! I need him! I won't be able to keep this under control for any longer. I need him there. Without him, I can't do anything anymore." Saeko spoke for the first time after returning from the clinic, "Doc, what's the matter? It was all fine when we were present, right? Just in 20 minutes what have happened all of a sudden? Why the sudden emergency? Tell us please." The Old Doc let out a huge sigh, "Listen carefully. As you all know the patient was in a coma! A coma is a state when….." His words were cut short by Umibozu and Miki jointly "We all know what a coma is. So pray continue Doc. The old Doc smiled lightly and continued, "There is a 50% chance that a patient in a coma might never recover, and there is another 50% chance in which he/she recovers and leads a perfectly normal life. In this case, after about a year as if by some miracle, suddenly after you all just got out of the apartment, the patient showed some unnatural symptoms. You can say that the patient might recover from the coma, but for that, I need him. Without him, I can't proceed." "How much time do we have to bring him?" asked Umibozu. "Thirty minutes at the most. I am gonna run. The other experts are having their way as I speak, but I know the patient better than everyone there. So I know what is to be done." said the Doc, "We all know" said Miki who was sitting with a bright face. "Then there's no time to spare. You go to the clinic, and I am gonna go and look for that idiot. I know where he might be now." Said Umibozu, but by the time he finished, the old Doc was nowhere in the café, he was storming down the street towards Hanazano Clinic with Saeko.

The morning sky was clear, still the sun was yet to be seen. Ryo was in his so-called 'unofficial home' watching the cold misty morning for his assuagement, while washing away his sadness in the gentle yet cold austral breeze. It seemed that melancholy was in autarchy of this man. A quick look at him, and anyone would tell at a glance that he resembles an azoic person. He was busy gazing at the beautiful sun of the cold and misty morning, when his sixth sense awared him again for the second time that someone was approaching him. But he seemed to know this person well, without hesitation, he went towards the lift, and there he was! Ryo couldn't make out what it was, that brought him out of his café in this weather. He just stood silently, gazing at the sunrise. Umibozu, sensing the emergency, needed to tell Ryo the cause of his present misfortune, but instead he only told, "Ryo, I need to take you somewhere. Don't ask me any questions because I won't answer to them. For the time being, be a dumb person, and follow me." Ryo, as expected, didn't move even an inch. He stood there itself, and kept looking at the sky. It so seemed, that he was busy imagining something. Umibozu could feel the danger increasing with each passing second. He had no other choice, he brought his gun out of the holster and pointed at Ryo, "I am sorry for doing all this Ryo, but there is somewhere I want you to be than here. Trust me this one time Ryo, I promise you won't be disappointed. Perhaps, you won't have a reason to be disappointed anymore. Just follow me already…", saying this he started moving towards the lift and he could tell from his intuition that Ryo was up on his tail. He put the gun back in the holster, as he knew that there was no use of it anymore, he knew that Ryo would follow him now. As both of them descended from the skyscraper, Umibozu started walking towards the clinic. When they were on Kabuki-Cho, he had a feeling that someone was following them, so as he turned back, he gave a dainty laugh. "I could handle it, you Moron! I didn't need your help. Besides, as the present state goes, it seems that you could use some help for yourself, you Dumbo!", because he heard a gunshot from quite a distance and then he could feel Ryo coming towards him out of the park on their right side. He had a nonchalant face, Umibozu didn't ask him anything. He just resumed walking. After some distance, he could again that they were being followed, but this time, it was Miki-San who came running to them saying that she too wanted to join in. All the while, though Ryo had a nonchalant face, there was but only question going on in his mind, "Where am I going to? What's amiss in this situation? What am I missing out? Why is everyone so happy? Miki-san looks a bit tensed, still I can tell that she is happy. Why? What's the matter


	6. Chapter 6 : Kaori, Is it you?

p style="text-align: center;"As Ryo walked down the street, to the unknown location, he didn't know why, but his heart was pounding faster, he was getting more and more restless within himself but as a person he was, no one could possibly figure out what he was up to, until the very end. Even Umibozu failed to notice this restlessness of Ryo. It seemed that he had more important matters to think about. He was continuously eying with Miki-San, and both of them were smiling. This was something that's very much peculiar about Umibozu. No one, not even Ryo, have ever seen him with emotions. Ryo thought of seizing this opportunity. He asked with the Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile "Ah Hoy Miki San! Still can't forget the mokkori night with Umibozu? Was he so good? Gimme a chance too so that you'll at least have a chance to compare! Right Umibozu?" As he turned towards Umibozu, he could see his black head turning red with anger and embarrassment. Of course he wasn't used to these kind of words, but he knew Ryo very well. He knew that Ryo had some kind of plan going on in his mind as to the whereabouts of the place he was being forcibly taken to. Umibozu decided not to go according to Ryo, he chose to remain silent. Soon enough they reached the destined location "Hanazano Clinic". Ryo was a bit surprised, and amazed as to the reason he was brought here of all places. It's been more than a year since he had last visited this place. The last time he came here, she was there with him. Ryo mind again got crowded with memories, he didn't had the mentality of observing things anymore, instead memories started crowding his head, and baffling his sight. He could remember Kaori. Everything related to her started from here itself. As they went up through the stairs, in the chamber, he could see the bed he was kept in when he was brought here for the first time by Kaori. He could even see the window through which he fled after being partially cured by her and this Old Doc who is standing before him at the present moment. Suddenly he came back to his senses and his eyes widened. "Where is this place? Who is that lying on the bed there? Why is my whole body pulsating? What's the matter? Why am I so tensed?" thought a completely baffled Ryo. The matter was simple, when he was deep in his thoughts; the Old Doc brought him into the room at the base of the staircase. Ryo didn't notice all these, he was brought back to his senses by the feeling of the presence of someone he knew too /"It can't be. How can it be? I am dreaming right, Saeko?" he almost shrieked out but the Chief of Shinjuku police hurriedly put a palm on his mouth to muffle his voice. She could understand his unspoken words all too well; just as the other three known persons present in the room: Miki Umibozu and Old Doc. Umibozu could feel Ryo's feelings standing beside him, Miki San was standing near the head of the person lying on bed while quietly watching her, and Saeko was busy dragging him by his shoulder towards the bed. Ryo was completely bewildered as he went closer and closer to the bed. He didn't need to see who it was anymore, his gut told him. It was indeed his 'Sugar boy' on the bed. As he reached the bed, the person there with a white apron, moved away and gave him full view to the face of the prostrate person. He couldn't take it anymore, his legs gave in. He kneeled down and almost unknowingly, tears started strolling down his eyes. Those were tears of joy. He seemed to be a maniac. Even Saeko was afraid after seeing him like this, but Umibozu was calm as ever. He kept a hand on his shoulder, and said in a low voice "Get a grip on yourself, you moron! Don't you dare cry now. Your days of crying are over. Go, and talk to her. Try and wake her up. Go on. We will be outside if you need us, though I know you won't be needing us. Not anymore." Saying this, he asked the Old Doc and Saeko to leave the two of them alone. Miki San was nodding in approval, the Old Doc was more than happy to obey him, even Saeko didn't have the slightest objection to Umibozu's request, but the other experts objected to this proposal. They were vehemently against this idea. According to them, there could be grave danger to the life of the patient if she was attended carelessly. It's probable that she would never regain consciousness. Right after the expert spoke this, he could feel himself floating up in the air. It was nothing special, Ryo overheard what he told, and he was holding him up with his collars of his apron just as finished giving his priceless opinion. Had Saeko not come in between and rescued the expert, he would be killed then and there. Anyway, after this incident, all of them left Ryo and Kaori alone in the room and went /Just as they went out and left the two of them alone, Ryo's mind went blank for the first time in his life. He knew that he was happy, but he couldn't express it right away. It seems that his feelings had stopped working. Never even in his dreams did he imagine that he could meet this girl again. God knows how badly he wanted to see her just once more. But wait! Suddenly Ryo's senses questioned himself, "Is she alive? Is that really her? Is that Kaori?" He needed to check if someone was playing a prank on him or it was truly Kaori. He tried calling out her name, but alas! He was too excited to even speak. He couldn't utter a single sound. It seemed that he had lost his voice from the sudden shock. Oh, What a shock it was! He was shuddered to his core. He quietly went towards her, sat there beside the bed, and kept his palm on her /"Who are all these people? It seems that I know them very well. Damn that lecher, is he not here? Why you dirty minded pervert! Let me get up once, and then you'll be sorry for your entire life for even having your mokkori!" thought Kaori in her sleep. It was just then she heard his muffled voice, but even with that sound, she could recognize him alright. She smiled in her sleep. Miki San had observed this and it was due to this that she didn't oppose Umibozu's proposal of leaving Ryo and Kaori alone for the time being. Kaori was becoming restless in her slumber. If he was here, why couldn't she feel him? Why was he not talking to her? What happened to him? She could remember the last time they met. She was angry on Ryo as he had a mokkori over another girl when she was trying to propose him. She was angry as well as sad. She thought that he didn't care for her. So she hit him with 1000tn hammer, and while running across the road to save the girl, thought in her mind "Serves you well, you pervert! Now Stay with that!" After that all she could remember was lights….. blinding lights. When she was seeing these old memories in her dream just like an old movie, she felt a hand touch her forehead. This touch….. this hand… she knew this hand all too well. It's him, it must be Ryo. It has to be Ryo. No one else has such a soft touch. She tried opening her eyes, but damn it. They were heavy as lead. "What's the matter with my eyes?" she thought, and tried harder and harder just to get a glimpse of him. She wanted this never-ending slumber to end. She wanted to embrace him, see him, and hear his voice once more. She wanted to beg him not to fight with her or look at any other woman ever. She wanted herself to be that one special woman in his life. "For God's sake, let me get up once Ryo, I won't let you go away anymore. Trust me on this one." thought Kaori whose face was beaming with happiness even in her sleep. Just then She heard it; someone was calling out her name in a very soft voice. The voice was damp, but she could make it out that it belonged to Ryo. But damn it! She still couldn't open her eyes. She tried hard and finally…/p 


	7. Chapter 7: Welcome back Kaori!

When Ryo was busy reminding himself the memories of the moments he and Kaori spent together, there was a similar turmoil going on in Kaori's mind too. She wanted to see him for one more time and he wanted to hear her again, perhaps for eternity. "Kaori, just come back once for God's sake. I promise that I won't even try to look at any other mokkori woman in my entire life. Just come back. Talk like you used to, hit me like you used to. I will always stay low for you… You and only you. You are the one who gave me my identity, made me the person I am today. After making me this, you can't leave me alone again. Please wake up Kaori, please wake up." Ryo was saying in his damp voice as he was crying with his head on Kaori's abdomen. Just as he finished saying, he could feel a soft touch on his hairs and a soft yet stern voice that his ears had been longing to hear since the past year "Get up you idiot, don't you have work to do? And for god's sake what have you done to yourself?" He looked up with a teary eye, it was her! It was Kaori! It really was Kaori….! She was awake and was looking at him once again, with those dazzling eyes. Ryo's mind was rushing with the thoughts from the past year after she was apparently dead. He could remember each and every moment he spent without her. He simply was overjoyed, he could tell that at that moment he was possibly the happiest person in the world. He forgot the surroundings, and just hugged Kaori as tightly as he could. Kaori's face reddened with embarrassment alright, but she didn't object. Instead she put her arms around him and both of them savored the moment. Ryo was crying on her shoulders and saying "Forgive me Kaori and promise me that you won't ever leave me alone like this. Please promise me. Without you I am just nothing. Kaori…." But the person to whom this was being said to, couldn't answer anymore, as she was again sleeping. Ryo sensed something amiss with the situation, and thought of calling the doctor. As he opened the door and came out, he couldn't find any of them there. Where are the rest? He wondered and took the steps to reach the doctor's chamber. As he entered, what he saw was enough to enrage him. Saeko, Miki san and Old Doc was busy seeing on the computer of the clinic, what seemed to be the room Kaori was in, and were smiling among them. Ryo quietly went and put a hand on Saeko's shoulder. Saeko turned around in a flash, and was thunderstruck seeing him there. But he had a calm face. He told "Doc, come with me. Kaori was awake, but she slept again suddenly. Come and check if something's wrong." The old Doc followed him without another word, and after checking her, said in a relieved voice "Ryo, she is just sleeping. Nothing's wrong, don't worry. You can go home; I will let you know if I need something. You need some sleep. At least now get some sleep! I promise you she will be alright." "No I think I will stay here until she's alright. Now I'll return home only when she's good to go with me, and besides I have some unfinished business left to do after she is awake. And moreover it's morning. Trust me doc, I want to stay here." The Doc left without a word, as he knew that it was no use telling Ryo to leave. He wouldn't hear anyone except the person on the bed. She was the dearest to him in this whole world. "Only God knows what he is feeling now, seeing her like this on bed." thought the Doc, and started climbing the stairs. As he reached his chamber, he saw that Tomo Chan was awake. "Ohio gozaimas, Tomo Chan" Tomo Chan looked at him with a smiling face, and before she could speak anything, her eyes fell on the other persons present in the room and moreover on the computer screen. She rushed to the computer and after running a brief glance on the screen, looked at him again questioningly. "Yes, that's Saeba in her room. Kaori needed him. She is out of the coma because of him. A lot happened while you were asleep Tomo Chan" Miki said. Tomo's eyes turned to her, Miki continued, "Perhaps you can't tell from his behavior now, but mark my words, He is the happiest person in the world at the present moment. No one can possibly imagine how happy he is, seeing Kaori awake and very much alive." Saeko and the Old Doc nodded in approval. Miki's brow darkened as she continued "But if you think that's all there to it, you would be vaguely wrong. After Kaori is well enough and goes home with him, there will be probably a massacre in Shinjuku. I bet his mind is on flames, seeing the one dearest to him, like this on bed. But no one can possibly sense what's going on in his mind except Kaori. If there's anyone who can stop him, it's her. I hope she gets better soon."  
When all those was going on in the doctor's clinic in second floor, Ryo sat on the tool there beside Kaori's bed, put his head on Kaori's belly and drifted off to a peaceful slumber for the first time since that fateful night, a year ago. For the past year, he couldn't put himself to rest even for a moment. Whenever he felt tired and wanted to have a little rest, he could see Kaori's lifeless corpse before him. He panicked within himself, but there was no one with whom he could share his pain with. Umibozu could understand what he was going through, but he knew no way to console Ryo for, he was a bit at loss with words. For the past year Ryo felt like he was perfectly alone, left in this godforsaken world only to suffer. But the wheels of his fate seemed to turn dramatically; suddenly he had everything that a man can dream of: a family! He was a contented man. With the profession he was in, neither could he never think for once that he could die an honorable death, nor could he think that he could have a circle of friends whom he could rely upon and a family to return to at the end of day. As a man like he was, he had more share of woman than other men, and having it, he could remember none, fulfilling him more perfectly as Kaori. She fought with him, she hit him, got angry on him often, but she loved him deeply. When all others left, she stayed back for him. Ryo was more than happy, just to see her once more after that night. He fell in the arms of Morpheus, dreaming about the only woman he had ever loved: Kaori.  
Seeing him drifting off to sleep through the small closed circuit camera from the doctor's chamber in the second floor, Saeko, Old Doc and Miki heaved a sigh of relief. Saeko was truly happy now that Ryo and Kaori were together. She knew that now there was no more danger for Kaori as Ryo was there with her. Miki San, after seeing the two of them, ran away back to the café where Umibozu had returned long back, with a beaming smile. The Old Doc let out a huge sigh and leaned back on his large chair. Only God knows what he was going through for the past year. It was a perfect hell. Both he and Saeko were thinking of the incidents back from the time She found Kaori in a horrible state.


	8. Chapter 8 : At last Ryo is safe

To the incident One Year back….

That day started like a normal one. Shinjuku was as usual free of crimes because of Ryo. Saeko was in a shop, buying some groceries for herself. "Ryo must be having a good business going on", she thought. She came out, and saw that there was a commotion on the crossing in front of the shop she was in. She rushed there. As she was the chief of the police of Shinjuku, it was a part of her duty to attend to any spot of an accident. "Oh man, can't they be a little more cautious? After all, this is not a busy time at the day, its evening. Hope the person is all right." she thought and as he reached the spot, pushing the crowd around the spot, her eyes widened. She couldn't believe her eyes, It was Kaori! At first she thought that she had mistook her face with the victim's due to some resemblance, and was a bit assured due to it. But Kaori muttered something that made her understand her mistake, "I…. am… sorry…. Ryo….." No one else could understand those words, but Saeko had a prior training to read lips. It was a part of her elite training before being appointed as the Chief of Shinjuku Police. Those were apparently Kaori's last words before she passed out. Saeko thought at first that she was dead as couldn't find any pulse. She called for an ambulance then and there, and herself helped to move Kaori's body to the hospital. The doctors in the hospital found out that she was alive and breathing, but before that She had already informed Ryo who was with a client at Cat's Eye café. Umibozu and Miki were there too. The client was as usual, a female, and it was so normal of Ryo to ogle at her assets. After all, it was the great womanizer Saeba Ryo. As Saeko reached the café, panting, out of breath, Miki helped her with a glass of water. She sat on a chair beside Ryo and his client, at the counter; Saeko could still remember that it was Kaori's favourite chair. She used to sit on it whenever she visited the café for cappuccino with Ryo. Ryo was busy ogling at his client, when she blurted out the news "Kaori is dead!" She paused for a moment and then added "She met with an accident at the crossing at kabuki-Cho. I got her to Shinjuku City hospital for postmortem." Ryo had a Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile on his lips, which faded the moment Saeko finished. Ryo froze in his place for a moment then opened the door and vanished on the street in a blink leaving his client dazed and puzzled. After sometime she too left the place. After she was gone, Miki was nowhere to be seen, and Umibozu had a dark, grim face. "What's the matter with you Saeko? When did you learn to play practical jokes so well, huh? U got me there for a moment, I must say this. Don't try this again please. I don't like practical jokes like these, actually never did like it in the first place." Umibozu said and resumed his work. Saeko gave a hoarse cry of pain and disgust, "What do you people think of me, huh? I will go mad if this goes on any longer! I am not joking. You get it? It's true. Kaori is really dead. She had no pulse. She met with an accident on Kabuki-Cho. I was there. I just heard a loud commotion and ran there and when I reached the crossing, it was over. She was gone!" As she was telling all this, her phone rang. It was from the hospital, she had put Kaori in. She came out of the café. The authorities had two news to offer, the first one was that Kaori was still alive. She still had pulse, feeble of course, but she was breathing alright. If she was attended by an expert, it's probable that she might revive. The second news was that a man with a blue overcoat and black trousers was barging at the counter of the hospital to meet this patient. The authorities asked her what their action should be in this matter. Saeko told them to tell him that Kaori was dead and if he further presses them to show her, then they should show him a dead body of someone else. "But the Body must be in such a condition that it should not be identified", she had mentioned and then disconnected the phone. After 5 minutes Saeko came out of the café and rushed to the hospital, and what happened after was officially a secret for the world. Only two persons knew about this, Saeko herself and the Old Doc of the Hanazano Clinic. She moved Kaori within about 30 minutes to the Hanazano Clinic and arranged for expert supervision for her. She also had police posted around the clinic as she had a suspicion that it was not an accident which had affected Kaori. By then it was evident from the report of the experts that Kaori was in a coma due to shock and severe hit on the hind brain. Since then the Old Doc was in charge of Kaori, for the past year. He was strictly prohibited to talk about her to anyone. Saeko knew what would happen if Ryo came to know about this, so she wanted this to be a perfect secret. Even Umibozu and Miki were not allowed to know about this. But for the past few days Kaori was often having seizures in her state of unconsciousness. The experts had told beforehand that it might be a life risk for her if she continued to have these seizures. They named this as 'Arrhythmia.' Hearing this Saeko had no other way but to tell Umibozu and Miki and seek help from them. But there was something that no one doesn't know of yet. It was, when Kaori was awake after being moved to the hospital from the site of the accident, she had asked Saeko to bring Ryo before her so that she could see him just once more. Saeko couldn't arrange for it. It was for this reason that she had gone to the café, not to give the news. But sadly She couldn't tell him this, instead she did what seemed the most suitable at that moment: hide the truth from Ryo. This went on for the past year until today….

Both of them saw the couple sleeping soundly in the computer screen and were happy themselves for being able to see this.


	9. Chapter 9 : Let's go home Kaori!

It was about 4 in the evening when Ryo woke up. He had a sound sleep. Looking at the face of his still-sleeping 'Sugar boy' he felt complete in his heart. He knew that he would have work again as City Hunter of Shinjuku, because perhaps more occasions of deaths than he knew about. Persons, when die, do not come back ever. Everyone is not as lucky as he is. They need someone to protect them. Ryo felt that City Hunter was definitely needed again in Shinjuku. But before that, he needed Kaori to be safe and sound enough to be able to accompany him….. wait a minute…. "Was the accident intended for her? Or was it for Ryo?" Ryo recalled that he had his informers search in the underworld for his information, but the priority for the present was Kaori. He looked at her face again. She had scars on her face, due to the accident, her hands had marks too. It was evident what she had gone through for the past year. Ryo's mind was in flames seeing her like this, but he controlled his anger knowing that it would do him no good now. He had to wait for Kaori to be completely well. "I will tell her now. It seems that I won't be able to live without her anymore. She has become my habit. It has become my habit to listen to her foul words from morning to night and get hit by her hammer often in a day. She hits me, foul-mouth me, but does she love me? Does she feel what I feel about her? How should I find that out?" Ryo thought in his mind.  
When Ryo thought all this, Kaori was awake. She was looking at Ryo with large, deep eyes. Only She could read his mind a little. No one else could do that, not even Umibozu or Saeko. Living with this man for over 6 years had given her an experience to understand him better than anyone, but even she couldn't read the flames burning in his mind. She could only see him absent-minded, deep in thought. "Hello Ryo! Seems Saeko did listen to me. What took you so long to come here? Where is this place? Doesn't seem to be a hospital, does it? And by god, What have you done to yourself? Why do you look so pale and thin? Didn't I give you a shave yesterday? You look humiliating. So, any new cases with a fine-looking lady? What happened with Onisama's case? Is she alright?"  
Ryo was deep in his thought when he heard Kaori's voice, which brought her back to his world. Kaori was speaking. He could live for eternity; pass through any obstacle just to hear the voice once more. Ryo looked in those large, deep eyes and forgot where he was for the first time in his life. As he cupped her face in the palm of his hands, she blushed deeply but was at a loss for words. She could hit him if she wanted to, but perhaps she wanted this too, because she closed her eyes and raised her face, and….. Their lips met. Kaori and Ryo both could feel a shiver spiraling down the spine in their bodies. Their kiss deepened and after sometime, Ryo drew himself back. Their eyes met, and both of them said more with their eyes than they could possibly say themselves, just then the Old Doc called him out. "Come to my chamber" he said and started to climb the stairs. Ryo followed him silently to the second floor. When they reached there, Ryo saw Tomo Chan waiting with a large polythene in her hands. "There you go, doctor, I've brought everything you ordered for. Help yourself" Tomo Chan said. "Go on Ryo, have something to eat. You haven't eaten anything except wine for the past few days. I know that. Umi….." Ryo's mind suddenly awared him as he saw something sparkle in the evening sun through the window. He jumped over Doc and Tomo Chan who were in front of the window and all of them were tumbling down the stairs in a moment. Ryo got up in a flash and ran to the window to take position, but he couldn't feel anyone anymore. Tomo Chan had a twisted ankle and The Old Doc had a sprained elbow. Other than that, there weren't any serious injuries. Ryo has a bright smile in his face as he looked through the window. The evening sun gave a oriflammic glow to his face. It seemed he had had an answer to a puzzle. He turned back, and got down the stairs waving his hand for Doc and Tomo Chan. He came back to the room Kaori was in, only to find her lying back on the bed. Her face was red with shyness, but it was emanating an aura of happiness. The Doc seemed to have followed Ryo, "So, Kaori…. You seem to be alright to me, aren't you? You can go home very soon. Ryo, may I have a word with you? It's urgent." When both of them were out of the room, the doctor closed the door, and turned towards Ryo "She seems to know nothing about the time that has passed. You need to make her aware of this. I may be wrong, but this is a normal thing for patients who wake up from a coma. She has absolutely no idea that a year has passed since that day. You need to be patient with her Ryo." "Doc can I take her home?" asked Ryo. "Yes you can. She has no internal injuries. I have checked her thoroughly. When do you want to take her?" "Now" answered an impatient Ryo. "Then let me complete the paperwork, and before that, let me ask Saeko to come here. Is that ok?" "Do it your way Doc, I just want to take her home with me. It's been a year since she is away. Anyway, completing paperwork will take time. Call me when you're done. You know where to find me." Ryo came back downstairs to Kaori. Kaori was still leaning back on the stack of pillows. "God, she's grown so thin. She looks so weak. Yet her eyes are so lively, full of life and hopes. Perhaps that's the reason I fell for her." thought Ryo, and proceeded towards the girl who was watching him intently. He said nothing and just sat on the chair beside her bed and gazed at her. To tell the truth, perhaps he couldn't say a word even if he wanted to. He doesn't know why. Kaori spoke after a long time, "You're away from home for a pretty long time. Go back Ryo, there can be a client waiting at the door. And I'm sorry for not being able to cook yesterday." she said with pouting lips. Ryo fell for her again seeing the soft glow in her eyes. Both of them doesn't know how much time they'd been sitting like that until Saeko entered and called "Ryo! You seem to be a bit carried away I see. You couldn't even sense me entering. Your senses are going dull." Kaori immediately looked away, and Ryo had a bright smirk on his face. Saeko again spoke "You can go home Kaori. You seem fine to me, what about you doc?" The Old Doctor beside her, smiled and nodded in approval, "Yes Kaori, you may go home with Ryo but be careful not to get into accidents like that. Ok?" Kaori nodded with a beaming face, and tried to get up but she couldn't. Ryo had to help her. It seemed that she had problem in standing after laying for about a year. "Let's go home Kaori….." Ryo said, looking at her. Kaori had tearful eyes, yet she nodded, smiling.  
Both of them headed out of the clinic in the evening sun towards their own apartment. The oriflamme rays of sun brought a unique glow to his face. He was finally going home…. he still couldn't believe it in his mind.


	10. Chapter 10 : What happened with me?

When Ryo and Kaori reached the door of their apartment, it was already dark outside. Ryo's mind was bubbling with joy, but as a person he was, he couldn't show it out. Kaori as usual opened the door with keys from Ryo's breast-pocket and stepped in the apartment. And then she switched on the bulb of the sitting room with the forefinger of her left-hand out of habit. Nothing's changed, but no sooner did she switch on the lights, she shrieked! The reason was evident. The whole room was full of dust. The carpet on the floor was dusty, the glass on the small center-table had a thick layer of dust, and the stack of hassocks close to the kitchen door was dusty as well. She covered her mouth with the palm of her right hand and went towards the kitchen. There were the utensils just as she had left it. The cauldron on the gas was just she had left it. It seemed that no one used this house for nearly a year. Kaori was puzzled. She went up to Ryo's room. It was all the same there. Her brother's gun was still on the dusty bed, but it was a sure thing that the gun hadn't been used for about a year. The room was full of dust and cob-webs on the floor as well as the walls. "What the hell had happened while I was away?" she retorted, and then with an anger wailing up inside her, roared "RYO!", and as she did, a 1000 ton hammer appeared in her hands as she glided down the stairs to the sitting room where Ryo was still standing unmindfully.  
Ryo felt so normal and so mentally at-ease when Kaori took the keys from his breast-pocket. He felt like he could fly into the clouds if he wanted to. Kaori stepped in and switched on the lights of the sitting room. He followed her close-by. The time is gradually nearing; he had to be prepared for the moment. Kaori finished inspecting the sitting room and went towards the kitchen, he was on her tails. And when she went up the stairs, he knew that he was gonna be dead. He recalled the old memories:  
When Saeko blurted out the news while he was at the café, Ryo's world darkened in a moment. He was sitting there with a client, but after hearing the news from Saeko, he forgot everything and rushed to the hospital she had taken Kaori to. The hospital authorities refused to show her body at first, but on his constant request, showed him. Ryo still remembers the corpse; it was as if stained with blood. The face was too badly injured to be identified, but the corpse had the locket on her neck when she was brought in the hospital according to the authorities. Ryo took out the necklace from the hip-pocket of his trousers and looked at it. It was the same locket Makimura had left for Kaori. After seeing the locket, Ryo had no further doubt that it was Kaori lying in front of him. His World had no meaning for him anymore. What use was he to the world after losing the person dearest to him, even more than his own life? Ryo repented for days for not being able to save Kaori, but after losing her, he never came back to this apartment, not even for once. He thought that of he did, he could suffocate to death here in this apartment. "Kaori's memories are lingering everywhere in here. Without her I can't stay here." And after that this apartment had never been opened since then. Ryo didn't return here, instead he went back to the rooftop of the deserted skyscraper he lived on, when he knew no one in Shinjuku. It was there that Kaori loved to visit….. Ryo was thinking all this, when he heard the angry voice of Kaori calling out his name. "There goes the normal Kaori. Welcome back Kaori. God knows how much I've longed to hear your voice" thought Ryo, as he saw Kaori gliding down the steps with her famous 100 ton hammer clutched in both her hands.  
He came back to his senses and making an idiotic face, asked "I have something to tell you" and then with a serious, darkened brow finished "We need to have this conversation now Kaori…" Kaori was not at all prepared for this, she was taken aback. Never had she seen Ryo to be such serious in the previous six years she was with him. To tell the truth, Ryo is never serious except when it comes to shooting. He can top the best of shooters easily, but what have happened to him. Kaori observed him closely for the first time after having woken up from the never-ending sleep. His face was full of beards, seemed like he didn't have a shave for quite a while. He has become pretty thin. His face, although looks serious, his eyes are glowing with anger. He was serious in his face but his lips had a very faint smirk. "What is going on here?" thought a surprised Kaori.  
Ryo closed the apartment door behind him, went near the kitchen door towards the stack of hassocks and drew two hassocks. Then he went towards the window which has full of cob-webs and dusted them well through it. Then he placed them near the center-table and called Kaori to sit on it. Kaori was so surprised that she didn't answer anything, just followed his instructions. After she had taken her seat, Ryo sat facing her and both of them looked at each other's eyes, perhaps for quite a while. When both came back to their senses, Ryo was the first to speak "Kaori, I need you to listen to me patiently and carefully. This is serious. Are you ready to know what happened while you were away?" Kaori nodded in approval.  
Ryo started "On that fateful evening, after your accident, Saeko came running to the café to give the news that you're dead. I went running to the hospital, but the authorities won't show me… you know….." There was a long pause, Kaori finally broke the silence "What do you mean by 'That day'? Wasn't it just yesterday Ryo? I got hit yesterday right?" Ryo didn't answer, instead he stood up and motioned to Kaori to do the same. Kaori stood up without a word and followed him. He went up to Kaori's room, and brought a dusty cloth from the cupboard. Kaori recognized it instantly as her most precious top. Ryo proceeded to the big mirror beside the bed in her room, and wiped the dirt of the mirror. It shone again, clean(more or less, nearly) as a diamond. After cleaning off the mirror, he went near Kaori, and tore of both the sleeves of the yellow top she was wearing. Kaori's face flushed with anger, she roared "Ryo! What do you think you're doing? Don't think I can't…" She couldn't finish her sentence as Ryo pushed her in front of the mirror. She could see herself alright, but what are these marks on her arms and wrists? And what is that scar on her forehead? Kaori gave Ryo a questioning look "What happened with me Ryo?" She asked, afraid of the unknown….


	11. Chapter 11 : Can't lose You again Kaori

Ryo made her sit on his dusty bed, and sat on it facing her. Kaori kept on, hearing Ryo's words with large tearful eyes, about the aftermath of her accident she had faced. Ryo started "Listen to me Kaori. The accident you are talking about, didn't take place yesterday or anywhere even near it. It happened exactly a year ago. I still remember it as if it happened before a few moments. It's the one thing, I would never want to happen again ever in my life. Trust me Kaori, you have no idea how I have lived through the past year. You know nothing about it. I couldn't come back here because this place is full of your memories. Without you this I would have suffocated here. I lived on that terrace of the building we both went often to see the sunrise. You remember? A year has passed, Kaori, and yet, here we are, as if nothing had ever happened." Kaori was a bit puzzled, "Really? Ryo? You're not kidding right? A year? That's a pretty long time. How come I don't remember it but you do? Do u mean to tell that I have a bad memory?" with this words, the famous hammer reappeared in her hands, and she had a red face. Ryo looked in her eyes, "You were in a coma, Kaori. I didn't even know about it. I guess the news was purposely kept a secret by Saeko. Perhaps she had a suspicion… leave that, I'll see to the matter. The most important thing is you are safe. Kaori I have something to say. Please do as I say, just this one time. Please…. Kaori." Kaori looked at him with suspicion. She had a feeling that she knew what Ryo was going to say. This was the only thing that she feared. Her fears were proved true when Ryo spoke. She could hear him say "Kaori, I don't want you anywhere near me anymore. I don't want such a partner who'd clumsy me with a bad luck. Because of you I passed the past year without a single mokkori! As if that wasn't enough, I had a feeling that the accident was intended for me and not for you. So I had a feeling of guilt within me too! I just don't wanna see you here anymore." Ryo couldn't believe his own ears as he heard himself speak. Those were the exact words he intended to tell her. On one hand he cursed himself for hurting the only person on earth who was the dearest to him; on the other hand, he knew that he had to get Kaori as far from himself as he could. Because he knew he couldn't see Kaori getting hurt anymore. So this was a necessity, it was really necessary to hurt her so that she goes away from him. He knew very well how hard it was, to live each day without being able to see her. He didn't want to bring those days back, so he thought it best to part ways with the only girl he had ever loved. Although his inner self was breaking down, his voice was rock hard and there was a peculiar type of coldness in it, something that Kaori has only heard when Ryo was confronted with enemies. Kaori looked at him with tearful eyes, tried to say something, but Ryo stood up and went towards the window to see through it. Kaori tried to say something but she couldn't get it out of her. Instead she silently walked down the stairs and out of the door of the apartment, remembering to keep the keys of the apartment on the center-table in the ground, and pulling the apartment door behind her as she walked out through it. As she walked down the street to an unknown location, she could feel the vision of a pair of eyes on her back even when she was at a considerable distance from Ryo's apartment, their apartment. As she was walking carelessly, she ran into a man who was none other than Umibozu. She could have fallen on her back from the impact but for Umibozu, who quickly held her hand, and helped her avoid her fall. She didn't say a thing, just tried to get past him, when suddenly she heard him say "He has again hurt you, that idiot. Has he?" She could take it no more, she broke down in tears. Umibozu always had a soft corner for her as she was an orphan like himself, he just said "Don't create a scene here Kaori-kun. Come with me, let's talk it out at my place."  
Miki san was doing the daily chores in the Cat's Eye café when she saw Kaori San and Umibozu entering there. Umibozu directly went behind the counter, handed Miki the groceries he went to the market for, and made Kaori her favourite – Cold Cappuccino. Kaori did not have the mentality of savoring the beverage. She sat on the tool which was always reserved for her, and kept her gaze fixated in her reflection on the beverage. "I am a mismatch for Ryo, isn't it? It seems that he deserves someone who can stand by him in the hour of his sore need, right Umibozu san? I can do nothing except clumsy him with a bad luck. He said so, and it is very much true. I could do nothing. All the people I love, goes away from me one by one. First of all brother Hideyuki, and now Ryo too! I am nothing but a bad luck. Isnt it?" Kaori suddenly asked with damp voice and a darkened brow, and she stood up and in a flash got out of the café and disappeared in the opposite direction they came from.  
Ryo looked at Kaori as she walked down the street. It seems that she was crying, but it was important to save her life. Ryo couldn't stand to see her get hurt for him anymore. He looked at her as far as his eyes could follow her down the street into the crowd. When he could see her no more, he sat on the bed thinking about his behavior with her. It was rude of him to talk to her like that, especially when they've just met after a year. But it was more important to look for the person who did this to her. He climbed down the stairs, and as he looked at the center-table on the sitting room, his eyes widened. The keys of the apartment were lying there. That means Kaori has…. Oh man, won't this girl ever listen to her? He rushed upstairs, to his room, with a suspicion, hoping that he would be proved wrong. But to his dismay, he was right! Both the guns were missing. His favourite 0.357 Colt Python was nowhere to be seen, and neither could he see Makimura's dusty pistol on the bed. He shook his, and saved himself a laugh. This girl will never change. He locked the apartment door in a flash, and after a moment, was seen to be running down the street. "There is a faint chance that she might be….. Here!" he reached his destination as he was thinking. Cat's Eye café! Kaori could be here. It was more of a gamble, but he had to take his chance. As soon as he entered, he could see an iron cauldron flying towards him. It was a child's pay to dodge it when he could dodge bullets. As he dodged it, Umibozu's voice thundered in the café "What do you want now? What more do you want? Won't you ever learn from your mistakes? You hurt her again?" Ryo sunk in his chair, "So she was here?" he asked looking at the now-warm Cold Cappuccino. "Yes" Miki San answered "She was here. Seems like you have had a lot of talking with her. Fierce talking. Didn't you?" Ryo wanted to ask something more, but Umibozu cut him short "Off you go. Get out of here. Go to where you were, for this past year. Go away." Ryo got out of the café with a smile and with a Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile, stormed down the street towards the deserted building that once used to be his unofficial home.


	12. Chapter 12 : I can't live without You!

As he neared the skyscraper, he could tell that she was here. It was characteristic of her to leave the basement door open. This time was no exception. Ryo heaved a sigh of relief, "So after all, she is here. Man, this girl always manages to find new ways of frightening me. God knows what she's done with my gun!" Ryo thought all this, and entered the worker's lift in the basement. Whenever he and Kaori came here, they would always take this lift, because she said that her legs would pain if they climbed up the stairs. So Ryo had no other option. Being inside the lift brought back so many memories to Ryo. All of them were perfectly fresh, seems like they happened only yesterday. Ryo gave a faint smile as the door of the lift opened at the topmost floor, but what he saw, made his heart pound a bit faster. Brood rushed to his cheeks, and his eyes widened. Kaori was lying on the floor. Her face was up, and her eyes were closed. "What happened to her? Did she use ….?" Ryo couldn't complete his sentence, he ran to her, but as he kneeled beside her, all was clear to him. She was just resting with her eyes closed, and she was murmuring something. Ryo read her lips "I am sorry Ryo. I know I am a mismatch for you. I can do nothing. I am the most horrible partner that a person like you can ever get, but what can I do about that? At times I am very rude to you, I know that. But it's all because I love you. I can't see you gazing at anyone else but me." Ryo was moved to the core, hearing the confession of this girl. He called her softly, "Kaori!" Kaori sat back up with wide eyes and a face reddened like an apple. "What are you doing here Ryo? Why are you here? How did you know I am here?" Ryo answered with a heavy voice "I didn't….. My heart told me that I would find you here. After all, I know you better than anyone else" and gave the Stallion-Of-Shinjuku smile. Suddenly Kaori jumped on her and hugged her tightly with her face dug deep in his chest. "Don't you dare try to part ways with me Ryo, Don't you ever. You hear me? I have live apart from you once, I won't be able to live again, and still if you insist…." Kaori finished her sentence and moved away from Ryo. He could see his favourite pistol in her right hand, and it was aimed straight at her head. Her eyes were still, and her face had an ample amount of confidence for the work she was doing. Ryo lunged towards her, and when she was in his reach, slapped her pistol-grabbed hand hard. The gun clattered on the floor and in a flash she and Ryo came closer in a tight embrace. The embrace deepened and after a moment deepened in a spine-tingling kiss. When they parted, both looked deeply into each other's eyes.  
Kaori could almost read his mind through those deep-penetrating eyes of his, still she asked "Just why do you want me away from you Ryo? Why?" Ryo could say nothing, instead, he chose to remain silent. Kaori continued "I still remember the very first day when I saw you on the road, covered in blood and unconscious. I knew then and there, that you were not a murderer. You had an appearance that was different from theirs. Then when you could sit up, you suddenly ran away. I thought that you wouldn't return, and was happy in a way because I thought that you and the other murderers were the same, and perhaps you weren't worthy to be brought into the clinic. But when brother Hideyuki brought you in the dinner, after about a month of that incident, I came to know that you were an orphan. You were murmuring in your sleep. I heard it. And after brother died, and I was left alone, it was you who came to my rescue Ryo. It was always you who stood by my side. So then Why today? Why do you want me away? Why don't you allow me to be near you? There's no other place in this world I would prefer to than here, beside you Ryo. Don't push me away Ryo. Please don't." As she was talking, Ryo rose up and went towards the railing.  
Ryo couldn't say a thing, he just kept listening to her. He was listening to her patiently again after about a year. Nothing much has changed. As she finished talking Ryo spoke "because I am afraid to lose you Kaori. I am afraid that I will have to live without you. For the past year I had had only this dream, that I might die anytime and see you in heaven and we shall live happily. It was then, that Falcon took me to you. I was overjoyed. Kaori, you don't have the slightest idea how bad the dream was! I don't wanna relive the days again. I just don't want to. And I am sure that the accident was intended for me, not you. Now that I am sure of, I can't let you be by my side and get hurt once more. I won't be able to watch it."  
Kaori turned Ryo to face her and cupped his face in her hands, "Trust me Ryo, I am nowhere safe than here, with you. To tell you the truth, I woke up because of you. I had lost the hope to live. Then I felt a touch that I had been longing for a long time and I just wanted to see the person. I wanted to see you. That's the reason I could open my eyes, put an end to the never-ending sleep. It was all because of you. Now if you aren't there, then why did you wake me up Ryo?"  
Ryo decided in his mind, that enough is enough. He wouldn't be able to live without her. He needed to tell her. He just blurted it out "I love you Kaori. I really love you." As soon as he did, he saw to his surprise that the facial expression of Kaori changed drastically. Instead of having a romantic expression, she had a fuming face "It was exactly the same words I told you then, before the incident, when you were busy looking at other girls. Now you're telling me this? But let bygones be bygones. I accept you, but I have one condition." Ryo blinked in awe at the girl who was always full of surprises for him. "You must promise me that you won't ever, I repeat…..EVER make me leave you! I won't be able to take that." Ryo smiled and both of them hugged. Both had tearful eyes but both of them were happy that they were finally together. "Care to take a walk to home?" Ryo asked Kaori who had her face buried in his chest in a tight embrace.


	13. Chapter 13 : City Hunter XYZ is Awakened

Ryo and Kaori both entered the Cat's Eye café. Kaori was eying Ryo with a bit of amazement, and asked "Why are we here?" in a low tone. Ryo made her sit on her favourite tool, and ordered for a cold cappuccino to Miki San who was in the counter. Miki was getting it ready when Ryo whispered in her ear, "I'm gonna go clean up the room. Don't wanna get you anywhere near it. I'll come get you when I am finished. Till then be a good girl and remain her Kaori. I don't want you loitering about in the streets again." Kaori nodded in approval, and with a smile replied "Don't be late. I'll be waiting for you Ryo" Oh, here, take this. I don't need 'em anymore." Saying this she returned both the guns to Ryo. Ryo left the café while she sipped the cold cappuccino after a year. The taste didn't change at all. In fact, nothing had changed. Umibozu and Miki were all the same, and Ryo didn't change even a bit except for his lewd behavior with the girls on the street. She remembered that she hadn't seen him misbehave with the girls on the streets at all. Her heart pained thinking of how bad his past year had been….. what he had gone through mentally…..! She sipped the coffee with a gaze fixed on the road outside through the glass door.  
Meanwhile Ryo walked in a free mind up to the apartment, opened the door with keys from his breast-pocket and started dusting the room. His heart was full. He was a contented man. He was finally complete. She really loves him! It was more than a dream for him. He continued his work in a fast pace. Within an hour, he was all done. Then he thought of making her a dinner as a treat of her return and his rebirth. All he could manage was burned rice and a curry which was evidently uncooked from its appearance. But he was happy that his 'Sugar Boy' has finally come home. As he finished, he locked the door of the apartment and started walking towards the café, whistling as he did. He looked at the church-clock, it was 8:30. "I hope the shop is still open." He thought absent-mindedly as he entered the café. As soon as Kaori saw him, she ran to him "What took you so long? Been hitting on the girls on the road again I guess?" Ryo was a bit taken aback by this sudden attack, but soon got back his composure. "Nope, I was busy dusting the room so that you won't catch an allergy." He said and gave his best smile which comprised of an exhibition of all the teeth he had in his possession. Kaori didn't ask him anything else. She just followed him out of the café into the cool night air. She could feel the gentle astral breeze swerve through her body after what seemed like a decade to her. She stopped on the footpath to savor the feeling deep inside her. Ryo saw that a flower shop was before them, he proceeded towards it, giving Kaori a tug on her hand that had clutched Ryo's blue shirt almost unknowingly. As she reached the shop, Ryo handed out 50 cents and asked the old lady "Yellow roses please ma'm!" for he knew that yellow roses are Kaori's favourite. The old lady handed Kaori a bunch of about 20 roses, of which nearly all were yellow, only 1 was red. Ryo narrowed his eyes at her. She nodded her head and gave back the twenty cents. Ryo put the money in his pocket and gave Kaori's arm a gentle squeeze who was a bit puzzled, "I didn't call for the red one, I don't want it. You can take it back ma'm", she said, But the old lady smiled and said, "You can keep it. It's a token of well being and love. Keep it. It's for you" and gave Ryo a meaningful look. Ryo observed it and said nothing. "Come, let's go home Kaori." He said. Kaori nodded, and they both headed for their apartment.  
As she opened the door of the apartment, she directly went to the kitchen to cook the dinner for the night as was the custom. But what she saw was enough for to be surprised. Dinner was already cooked. Ryo came in the kitchen, took the plates and told her "Go to the table Kaori. I am serving today. No argument please." Kaori was too surprised to talk. Of the 6 years she'd spent with him, never she had seen him cook, or even serve the food in the table. And today! Kaori couldn't think of anything, but wondered in her mind about the reason for his behavior. She could find none. After the dinner, Kaori took a bath as was her habit. For the first time in her life, she was in no tension regarding Ryo, for she knew that he won't be eavesdropping on her anymore. Her absence had really changed this man! After the shower, she came back to her room only to find Ryo standing at the roadside-window. He had a sightless eye, a gaze fixed on a distant object perhaps. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he didn't sense her coming in at all. She touched him on his shoulders, "What are you thinking about Ryo?" He didn't reply, just smiled a little, and said "Get some sleep Kaori, It's pretty late. You have just got out of a coma, in case you've forgotten the fact." Kaori didn't protest, she got on bed and tugged at Ryo's right hand "You're sleeping with me tonight Ryo. No arguments then." Ryo couldn't turn down the offer to sleep with the person of his dreams on the same bed. He said nothing, just freed his right hand and went out of Kaori's room.  
He came back to his own room, and took out a small piece of paper on which only two words were written – "Fujimaki Masashi."  
He crumpled the paper, and threw it out of his window. Then he changed into his night dress and went back to her room. She was still sitting on her bed for him. As soon as she saw him, a smile was seen in her lips and she moved aside to make room for him. As they both laid down, Kaori hugged him and drifted off to a peaceful slumber. Ryo too melted in her warm embrace and fell in the arms of Morpheus.


	14. Chapter 14 : Who is Fujimaki Masashi?

When he woke up, Kaori was still in his arms. She looked so cute in her sleep that Ryo could live through a thousand deaths just to get a glimpse of this face. He quietly gave her a peck on her forehead that woke her up. She had a bright a smile on her face "Ohio (Good morning) Ryo" she said. Ryo looked at her bright face again. It was as if he was taken back in time. He was reminded of the old days when Kaori didn't even let him near her room. And today, there they were sleeping side by side on the same bed! Ryo's mind was blank as he quietly got off the bed and slipped unknowingly into the attached bathroom in her room.  
Initially Kaori was a bit shy, knowing that she and Ryo slept on the same bed, but after giving it a serious thought, she concluded that there was no harm from Ryo's side anymore. She ran a hand through her red boy cut hair, and sat back up on bed. After Ryo slipped in her bathroom, she opened her cupboard to find all her dresses as it was she had left when she last used the cupboard a year ago. She had a faint smirk on her lips as she drew out her favourite scarlet top and a pair of dark jeans and went towards Ryo's room to use his bathroom. It was in the morning, and the roadside window of his room was open. She gave a loud shriek "Ryo!" as she pushed the door to his room and entered. All the contents were misplaced. It would seem that the room was hit by a tornado. The cupboard was open, with its belongings thrown out, the bed was a mess and the glass of the mirror was shattered to bits. The calendar and photo frames on the wall were no longer there. They were all scattered on the floor. It seemed as if someone had searched something here.  
Ryo was in the bathroom. He had just taken his clothes off to have a nice and peaceful bath when he heard her loud voice calling his name. He wrapped a towel around his waist, opened the bathroom door, took his piston from under his pillow, and was there beside her in a flash. When he saw what she had called him for, he gave a sigh of relief. "Ah Kaori, don't call me over such small things in such a short notice. I was afraid that something might have happened to you" said a nonchalant Ryo and went back to her bathroom to complete his unfinished work. She was assured that everything was under control, and went in his bathroom.  
She was having a peaceful bath when her eyes fell on the mirror of the bathroom before her. She was in her birth suit. She could see various marks on her body. Marks she had got from the accident. Injuries had healed, pain was no more, but only the scars remained as a proof of the incident, the nightmare of His life as well as hers. She was busy observing her body when she heard a soft voice, it was Ryo. He was calling her. She quickly changed into her favourite dark jeans and Scarlet top, came out of his bathroom and headed towards her room. Ryo was standing in front of the bathroom door in a white suit. It was a gift from her on the previous Christmas. He didn't wear it ever. He considered it very special to him. Kaori could that Ryo, although was smiling while looking at her, still his eyes were somewhere else. He was absent minded. She kept looking at him, and after seeing his activities, gave a cry of amazement. He proceeded towards the bed, and drew out a man, all tied tightly with rope. He was evidently unconscious. Kaori covered her mouth with the palm of both her hands, "Who is he? How is he here?" She asked in horror. Ryo had a gentle smile on his lips. He motioned Kaori to get him some water from the kitchen. Kaori ran down to the kitchen, filled a bottle and then again ran up to him and handed the water. Ryo sprinkled the water on the person's face. Kaori observed that the person's face was out of shape. One of his eyes was hurt badly and his chin was injured as well. She looked at Ryo with suspicion. Ryo gestured her to be silent, as the person was gradually coming to his senses. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her and nearly jumped in shock. "Hi Ryo! Seems like you're back in business, aren't you?" the voice said. Kaori turned back only to find the Chief of the Shinjuku police Department: Nogami Saeko standing with a smile on her face. As she turned, Saeko said "Hello Kaori! We meet again! How're you?" with his eyes fixed on the person on the floor, tied with ropes. "Is this the reason you called me yesterday night Ryo?" She asked Ryo. Ryo said nothing, just nodded in a "Yes" Kaori was constantly eying these two. She could understand that a lot of things had happened when she was asleep, but she couldn't get a hold over the situation. "Who is the person? Why is he tied? How did Ryo get her? Why is Ryo's room so messed up? Who did all this? Was it this man? Why?" these were the questions that were going through Kaori's head. By this time the person on the floor was completely back to his senses and was looking at the person surrounding him with surprised eyes. His left eye was red with injury, Kaori observed. Then the person's gaze turned towards Ryo and his eyes widened, because he saw that Ryo had his favourite toy in his hand (0.357 Colt Python). Ryo quietly opened the safety catch and checked if it was loaded, and then pulled down the hammer. He had a crude smile on his face as he calmly pointed the gun at the person. Even Nogami was least concerned. Kaori knew that under normal circumstances, Ryo would never shoot, but she could read his eyes. He was really mad at this moment. It is very much possible that he might shoot this man. She stooped down and removed the gag from his mouth. The person begged for mercy. Ryo asked only one thing in a stone-cold voice "Who sent you here?" The person was truly afraid and blurted out the name "Fujimaki Masashi" he said. Hearing this name, Kaori's eyes widened and she could feel her legs go off balance as she fell. She could see her world gradually go dimmer and dimmer and finally everything blacked out.  
Just who is this Fujimaki Masashi? Why did Kaori react in the manner just by hearing his name?


	15. Chapter 15 : XYZ, A call for City Hunter

Ryo could see her falling, he reacted within a blink. He threw the gun away, and clutched her in both his hands. She knew nothing of what was going around her. Saeko looked at her in a bit of surprise, all the while, keeping her focus on the person tied on the floor. "Take him away Saeko. If I see him again, I might kill him." said Ryo with a brow darkened with suspicion. Saeko fired with the gun facing upwards, it was a blank fire. Within a minute there were two armed constables beside her. She motioned them to take the man away, which they obeyed silently.  
From the time Kaori had seen this person, tied, in Ryo's room, she was behaving absonantly. When he uttered the name, Kaori became unconscious. "What's the matter? Is there any relation between the two of them? Does Kaori know this Fujimaki Masashi? Who the hell is he?" thought a now-serious Ryo. He was wondering what could have happened to Kaori that gave her such a shock such that she blacked out? There's definitely something fishy between these two. Ryo's gaze was fixed on unconscious Kaori's face while Saeko was checking her pulse. "It seems alright to me, Ryo." said Saeko. Just then Kaori showed signs of coming back to her senses. Ryo went to the bottle he had thrown on his bed beside Kaori when she had handed it over to him, and sprinkled some water on her face from it. She sat back up. "What happened to me? Why are you two looking at me like that? Ryo? Saeko-san? What's the matter?" asked Kaori in a confused voice. Before Saeko could answer, Ryo said "It's nothing Kaori, You may take rest a bit. It seems that you're still weak. By the way, do you happen to know someone named Fujimaki Masashi?"  
Kaori's face turned pale and her heart almost leaped to her mouth. She was very tensed and afraid. It didn't escape the eyes of the great City Hunter as he eased her back on his bed. Kaori nodded her head vehemently to show that she didn't. As she drifted off to sleep, Ryo kept his forefinger on his lips indicating Saeko to be absolutely quiet and motioned her to follow him out of the room. When they were out of the room, Ryo closed the door behind them without even a faint creaking sound and turned to face Saeko. "It seems that she knows him, but she won't tell me ever. I've got to find this Fujimaki Masashi real soon before that bastard lands another attack. But the only problem is that I don't have the faintest idea where he might be at the present." Saeko said, "Well Ryo, let me wring the person out to see if we can get some information that can give us a new lead. You go on with your work. Gimme a ring if you ever need me, I'll be there even before you can think of." and left the apartment. Ryo came back into his room where Kaori was lying asleep on her bed. "Kaori" he called out and kept the palm of his right hand on her forehead. Kaori opened her eyes slowly, and instantly turned red as an apple seeing Ryo so close her. "I need to go out to the market because unfortunately my partner can't. So will you be alright and be a good girl while I am away? I promise I won't be gone for long." said Ryo affectionately. Kaori slowly nodded her head in approval all the while looking at his eyes. "So I must be off now. See ya. Take care Kaori, and don't overstrain yourself." Ryo said as he went out through the apartment, locking the door as he did so.  
Just as he left, Kaori ran to the roadside window to see him. He was whistling in an eerie manner, and was walking unmindfully like a pervert, looking at the assets of the girls walking on the street, but he never approached them. Long after he was out of sight, the telephone in the sitting-room rang. Kaori lunged for it, and as soon as she reached it, she grabbed it and held the receiver close to her ears. There was no sound from the opposite end. With each passing moment, the tension within Kaori rose up to new levels. Her heartbeat accelerated. Was she right? Was it him? What if it's him? What would she do now? And most important, What more does he want? After a long torturing silence that seemed like decade, there was a voice heard from the opposite end of the telephone – "How are you my sweetheart? Is everything alright? Seems like you are still alive! Surprising, isn't it? Sorry for the wrong hit! Trust me, I've had punished myself after I did it. I'm really sorry. Oh, I forgot. How is your new found love? I saw both of you yesterday on the footpath, hand in hand. It was a pleasure seeing you alive after so long. I must say that you two look great together. But I am sorry; I must punish him for being so close to you. Hope you won't mind, would you? I know you won't." The last sentence sounded like a cold warning. Kaori wasn't afraid anymore thinking of what might happen to Ryo. She was fuming with anger. Enraged as she was, she shouted at the top of her lungs "Fujimaki! You dare not touch him ever! If you do, there won't be anyone to save you from me! You hear me? Don't ever think of laying a scratch on him." There was a faint sound of a laughter heard from the other end of the phone and then the voice spoke again "Well then! I accept the challenge! Save him from me if you can, my sweetheart! I guess he needs help in choosing his groceries for the day." and the phone got disconnected.  
Meanwhile Ryo went out of his apartment, and into the market. He went towards Kabuki-Cho. As he reached on the crossing, he could see an old café. He entered and sat on the last table on the roadside window and opened the newspaper on his face. After sometime, a young waiter came in to him and served him with a glass of wine although he hadn't ordered for anything. He closed the newspaper and as soon as he looked at the glass, his eyes narrowed. The glass was full up to the brim with a rosy red coloured drink.


	16. Chapter 16 : XYZ Kaori has changed!

As Ryo woke up from his seat before the table, he heard the doorbell of the café ring. Ryo spoke a bit louder "Hello Saeko! I could sense you following me. What's the matter? Do you have to tell me anything? You seem alarmed. Anyway, lets save our talk for the last. There seems to be an emergency" and pointed at the drink on the table and took it in his hands. Saeko exclaimed "XYZ! It's been a pretty long time since I had seen this! Seems like someone is back on business. So? What's…..?" As she spoke, Ryo covered her mouth with his left palm, and put the fore-finger of his right hand on his own mouth as a sign for her to be quiet. After a moment, he removed his palm, but Saeko never spoke a word. Ryo had his favourite toy in his hand. He pulled up the hammer, and proceeded towards the manager's room. As he neared it, both of them could hear voices, two of them. One was young, and the other was that of an old man. The young voice was threatening… and…. With that.. Ryo thought he heard….. No, he must be wrong, he thought. He parted the door, and could see the manager tied on the couch of his room. There was a long shadow on the other end, but the face of the other person couldn't be seen. Suddenly the shadow disappeared, and shortly after that, Ryo heard a window pane break. He signaled Saeko to go after the man, while he himself went in the room boldly, to help the old man, tied on his couch. He pulled the hammer of his gun, down and then within a flash, untied his ropes. The old man, evidently wanted water. Ryo reached for the water jug on the center-table and poured him out a glass from it. He finished it in one gulp, And after he did so, he was panting for breath. The first word he spoke in his panting made Ryo's hands go numb. He spoke in between his panting "K…aori!" Ryo's eyes widened, but he didn't give it a second thought, and kept looking at the old man intently. By then, the old man had somewhat recovered, He spoke again "That man, He had Kaori with him. He isn't a normal person Ryo! Beware. This man is no less in wits than you! Kaori seemed to behave a bit differently this time. She didn't seem to recognize me. She was as if a servant to him. He was caressing her, and she didn't even protest to that. I am telling you Ryo, there's something really amiss with her." Just then Saeko entered, apparently out of breath, "I am sorry Ryo. He wore a mask. He had Kaori, and he had a gun on her head. He even kissed her! But the surprising thing was that she didn't protest at all! There's something very fishy with the situation." The old man rose up from the couch, and said with a smile on his face, "So the XYZ did work after all, after so many days, huh! I didn't think it would work but he was impatient to see you!" saying this he pointed to the young waiter who had served the rosy-red drink to Ryo. "He wanted to see the great CITY HUNTER! When he asked me whom to give the drink to, I explained through signs, 'The person with blue overcoat and black trousers.' And fairly enough he got you." Ryo was listening to the old man with a faint smile on his face, but suddenly, he leaped towards the young waiter in a flash, and within the blink of an eye cocked his own pistol on his head. The waiter froze in his place, even Saeko was taken aback by the turn of events, but she knew that nothing Ryo does is without a reason. He definitely has a reason behind this too! So instead of panicking, she came to Ryo, and looked at him questioningly. Ryo said nothing, except "Hold him tight, Saeko. He is one of them!" The waiter tried to say something, but before that, Ryo gave a gentle squeeze on his right shoulder. The boy groaned in pain and sat down clutching his shoulder. Ryo had that faint smile again, he turned to the manager of the café and asked pointing at the waiter "He is newly appointed here, if I'm not mistaken?" The old man nodded in a "Yes." Ryo said "I thought so." then he turned towards the boy and said "You must be a little careful about your belongings, and especially your injury! I noticed that your right shoulder was injured when you served me the XYZ! (XYZ is a cocktail that is said to be served to the city hunter by anyone in case of dire need of his skills to save anyone's life. The formula of preparing it is yet unknown. The only persons that know it are Ryo, Saeko, Kaori, Umibozu and the Manager of this café.) The young boy suddenly blacked out even before Ryo spoke those words. By the time Ryo finished, he was unconscious. Ryo was a bit surprised, but he didn't say anything. The Manager of the café called the other waiters and workers of the café and put them to the rescue of this boy.  
Meanwhile, Somewhere In Japan, Kaori was in a room. The room was well furnished with valuable antiques worth crores. There was a man sitting on the opposite side of the table she was in. He looked at her smilingly, but Kaori's inner self cried out inside her mind "Where are You Ryo? I need you now!" but she was surprised to feel that even she was smiling! Then she noticed the table, it was full of mouth-watering dishes. "Eat, my sweetheart! Eat to your heart's content! Don't feel shy! Everything's for you. Go on please!" said the other man from over the table. Kaori was fighting within herself to break fre of the magical bond that seemed to entwine her tightly. As she looked at his blue eyes while he spoke, she lost count of her own moves. It seemed that she was enjoying her meal. She started eating voluptuously!


	17. Chapter 17 : A glimpse to her past!

As Saeko neared the unconscious waiter to check his pulse, she exclaimed in amazement "He is dead Ryo! What did you do to him?" Ryo, who was planning to decide which girl on the street to hit upon, turned back to her as if by reflex. "What? He is dead? Are you sure Saeko?" he asked in disbelief and went to check the matter. The young waiter was evidently dead, he had no pulse, and what was more, he was shot dead! Ryo moved towards the only window in the room which had a broken pane. It was the same window through which the masked man and Kaori escaped. He thought hard "Could it be…? No that's not possible. The main road is just across the window and beyond it are a series of shops. All of them are busy. It's a busy crossing after all!" Suddenly a thought sparked in his mind "It seems impossible, but it's not. Unless the man is…"  
To tell the truth, in the underworld, there are not many men who can surpass Ryo when it comes to physical abilities and above all, shooting. But Ryo does have had a neck-to-neck contender in shooting. He's the only person in the underworld who is at par with Ryo's shooting skills. The man is famous in the underworld for his accuracy in shooting. "It must be him! But the question is 'WHY?'" exclaimed Ryo, with his fists clenched. Saeko answered "Who are you talking about? Why did he kill this young boy?" Ryo answered with a hard jaw in between his breaths "Robert…. So you're here?" then he came out of the café, leaving Saeko with her formalities for the death. He started straddling towards Cat's Eye. On the way, he stopped at the flower shop. He didn't ask for anything, still the old lady gave him red roses. 6 of them with a Tsubaki (camellia). He could understand what she wanted to tell. The word 'Kaori' in Japanese means 'aroma' which was a symbolic for Tsubaki and the roses represented love and hope. The old lady wanted him to hope the best for Kaori. He wanted nothing else, "Where are you Kaori? How are you?" thought Ryo. Something dawned on him and he rushed to his apartment, but as soon as he reached there, his eyes widened. The door was open, it was broke open by someone. Ryo searched through the apartment top to bottom, nothing was amiss from any of the rooms except Makimura's pistol and Kaori. None of them could be seen anywhere near. When he reached the sitting-room, his gaze turned towards the telephone. The receiver was hanging from the table. He put it back on the table and wondered "Seems like Kaori had a phone call just after I left. Who called?" As he was wondering, the phone rang suddenly. Ryo took the call on its first ring itself. It was Saeko. She had reached the police station and she had called to inform him that the person had finally opened up. He had told the police that his name was Tairo Murizaki and that someone had paid him to search for a disc in the apartment. About the question of seeing his employer, Tairo had answered that he didn't happen to see his face but had noticed a peculiarity in him. Whenever he met Tairo, he used to wear a mask, but the peculiar thing is whenever Tairo would look in his eyes, he could gradually feel losing control over himself. As the person blinked, Tairo would return to his senses. Saeko gave further information that Tairo had divulged no more information about the disc he was sent to look for. He only knew that it was a videotape. And that he would find it in her room. The police had asked him how he knew the apartment she lived in. Tairo had answered that a man with yellow hair had helped him identify the apartment. Tairo told the police that the person carried a gun. "That's all for now Ryo! I don't think he has any more information for us! Have you found out something?" Ryo gave a deep sigh of relief and answered "No Saeko! I can't think of anything now. I will cal you when I find anything. Bye for now." Saying this he put the receiver down. He went in to Kaori's room again and looked at the belongings from the door itself. There was nothing wrong with any of it, or anything suspicious. "So? What's the matter? What's Tairo talking about? What is the matter of this videotape?" thought Ryo as he sat on her bed. It pained him to recall that she was present here only a few hours ago. As he picked the photo frame that held a picture of both of smiling together, a folded piece of paper fell from it. The paper was tucked behind the frame such that it might never be discovered by anyone who doesn't know about its presence. It was Kaori's writing on the paper, he knew it very well. Kaori had addressed this to him. It was a sort of a letter alright, but it was old; the paper as well as the writing on it. "Could it be before Kaori had that incident a year ago?" he wondered as he opened the folds to read it – "Ryo, if you ever get this, know well that I need you. If anything happens to me, it would be for one man – Fujimaki Masashi. I wanted to tell you about him from the very first day I had met you. I loved you from the from the very first moment, Ryo! Read this letter thoroughly Ryo….  
Coming to the fact – I knew this person since childhood. He was my batch mate. From the very beginning he was not very good with studies, but he had an eerie look in his eyes for the girls of the school. All of the girls in the school were terrorized by his mere eyes. As we reached high school, things started to change a bit. Nothing changed with his look, but the strange thing was that he would be seen with different girls every day. All of us were a bit surprised, but we didn't give it a second thought.


	18. Chapter 18 : Kaori's Past!

"We were a team of 5 girls : Tori Momoka, Aira Shizune, Mao Murizaki, Haruna Suichi and me. Aira and Mao were from other school and had joined us during our higher studies. Aira had told us that initially she and Mao used to be neighbors in class as well as in their homes too. Aira's house was just beside Mao's. After joining the high school, Aira had developed a huge crush on Masashi. She even proposed him on the Valentine's Day to our horror. We couldn't even think what made her fall for an eerie guy like him, but we didn't oppose her or ask her anything about this. She seemed to be enjoying with him, which was good of course, but the couple became the gossip of our whole high school. Somehow surprisingly, their relationship lasted quite a bit, about two weeks. After that, mysteriously Aira turned up in a hospital. The hospital authorities told us that she tried to commit suicide through poison. All of us girls knew that Aira wasn't such a girl who would try to commit suicide. In fact she was so full of life, so cheerful. We inquired her about this incident. What she told us, was a darker mystery. She told us that she had no control over herself whenever she was with Masashi. It was as if she was forced to do things that she wouldn't ever do. She knew that she didn't want to do those things, even so, she couldn't resist. She also told me that she didn't want to commit suicide, but she couldn't think why she ever tried to! After being kept in observation for about 3 days, she was discharged from the hospital. Even the police came and inquired her about the incident so that they could look deeper into the matter, but they found no suitable leads to follow. So after about 3 days we brought her home with us. Her parents were there too but she asked us to keep this a secret from them. After she came home, she tried hard to contact Masashi, but the peculiar thing was that he was out. Neither did he take any phone call from her, nor did he see her even when she went to his house. It was all very mysterious. It took her a long time to come out of the trauma of Masashi leaving her. She loved him too deeply. Nevertheless, by our graduation ceremony, we all were over the incident, even she too. We all were laughing and crying in the ceremony when suddenly we noticed that Aira was nowhere to be seen. Mao, Tori, Haruna and me were together, but Aira was missing. We thought that maybe she was in the toilet, so we didn't think too hard about it. But when she didn't turn up even after about an hour, I called her in her cell phone. No one took the call. So we thought that it might be better if we start looking for her. I proposed to search and all the others happily agreed. Our classroom was on the highest floor of the high school. I went to our class room, but there was no sign of her. She was not even in the toilet of the same floor. Out of curiosity and fear, I called Mao, Tori, and Haruna and asked them if she had turned up in there. After knowing that she hadn't, I asked them to come to our class room. Within minutes, they came. After they came, we proceeded towards the terrace, one of the two places we hadn't looked for her yet; another was the garden behind the high school. The terrace was empty, but we saw someone in the garden from there. All four of us rushed to the garden but we couldn't find anyone. So we spread out. It was Tori who came panting to me and then lead all of us to a corner of the garden. We hid behind the trees and what we saw was beyond our imagination. Masashi and Aira were kissing wildly. Everyone of us started recording the scene in our mobile phones, intending to tease Aira when she would come back. But little did we know about the incident that would come next! Suddenly we saw something flash in his hand and moments later Aira fell on the ground with a loud shriek. We all rushed to the spot, but as soon as he saw us coming, he was nowhere to be seen. Aira was lying on the ground and there was blood all over her body. She tried to tell us something but couldn't, instead she stopped moving all of a sudden. We were horrified. I shouted for help, but Tori was a bit quicker than us. She immediately called an ambulance and then notified the authorities who in turn promptly cancelled the graduation ceremony and rushed to the spot. The ambulance arrived within no time. After Aira was taken to the hospital, she was declared dead by the doctors there. The death certificate showed that death occurred by a blow from a very sharp object near the heart. We were all dazed. How could he do this! He killed her! And for what? We couldn't think of anything. Brother Hideyuki investigated the case but without success. And what's more within a year Tori, Mao and Haruna disappeared mysteriously. There were no traces as to their whereabouts. It was then I started working at the clinic we met. After about a year, I met you Ryo. I knew that we won't be together for a long time since the first time I met you. I was horrified and completely alone in this world when Brother Hideyuki left me. It was you who gave me hope Ryo, gave me a reason to leave. I came here to live with you, and with me, I brought the recording of the murder. It was in my phone's memory card. I had had it transferred to a disc. It is in the cupboard, behind the same enlarged picture of us, together, where you found this letter. I want you to make him pay for what he had done then. Take this as a job request from me, City Hunter. In case anything happens to me Ryo, be safe. I've always lost the people closest to me, brother Hideyuki, father, and now I don't want to lose you too Ryo. Remember Ryo, wherever I might be, I will always love you.  
From Yours and only Yours  
Kaori"  
Ryo clutched the letter in his hands hard as he tried hard not to think of her in a situation in a dire need for him. He could feel how desperate she might be, to have written this letter. Just as he proceeded towards the cupboard in Kaori's room, the phone in the sitting-room rang once again, and moreover at the same time, the door bell beeped too! There was someone at the door. Ryo gave a desperate dash for both. Having unlocked the door, he rushed towards the phone and picked it up in a flash. Before that he glanced through the corner of the eye that it was Saeko who was at the door. As he pressed the receiver close to his ears, he signaled her to come in and showed her the pile of hassocks to help herself. Through one end of the phone Ryo spoke "Hello…"


	19. Chapter 19 : City Hunter is in Trance!

There was a long intolerable silence, after which a female voice spoke "Hello Great City Hunter! I've heard rumours about you, but never in my life did I have the privilege of seeing you face to face."  
Ryo knew the voice too well to have mistaken it for anyone else but Kaori's. "But why does her voice sound so lifeless?" he thought.  
Ryo brow darkened and his face bore a devilish smirk – "Fujimaki Masashi, I presume?" he said  
The voice on the other end had changed. It was not a female voice anymore. A male had taken its place. "I'm impressed. After all, it's the great City Hunter who I'm talking to! I would've expected nothing less than this. You like games I presume?"  
Ryo stopped him midway, "Leave her out of this, and we can play all you want!"  
The voice on the other end laughed heartily and said "Oh, How can I do so? After all, she is the prize!"  
Ryo couldn't keep his cool any longer, he shouted at the top of his lungs "Damn you Whoever you are! Just wait till I get my hands on you and you'll wish you'd never born!  
The voice laughed again, "Well, so I take the challenge Mr. City Hunter! Find me within 2 days and you get to see her again. If not…. Well let's see what can you do?" A cruel laughter followed, and there was a sound of a kiss heard on the other end after which the call got disconnected.  
Ryo still clutched the receiver close to his ears and after a while put it down. His stout figure resembled that of a depressed man.

Somewhere in Shinjuku Kaori was standing in the middle of a well-furnished room. She couldn't understand why all this was happening to her. She could recognize the person sitting on the bed and talking to someone on the telephone. It was Fujimaki Masashi alright, but why was she smiling at him? She wanted to run away from this place, she wanted to be near Ryo badly. It's only been a day she got to be with Ryo; still, that day seemed a past long ago. Suddenly she saw him calling her and she followed. She could feel that every muscle of her body were working against her will. She was in no position to oppose his commands. As she went near, he kissed her on her lips and gave her a paper to read aloud. When he kissed her, she was irritated, but suddenly she recalled something and her legs froze. What if Ryo misunderstands her? What if Ryo fails to understand her situation? Nonetheless she could feel her body responding to the kiss, yet in her mind, Kaori shrieked with pain and anger. She could do nothing to stop this man, tears strolled down her cheeks. She then read the paper aloud….. What! It's Ryo? The paper read "Hello Great City Hunter! I've heard rumours about you, but never in my life did I have the privilege of seeing you face to face." What is that? "City Hunter"? It was Ryo! Yes it was! It had to be. But Kaori couldn't get to hear Ryo's voice because the moment she finished reading it, Fujimaki took the receiver from her hands. One of his hands was busy holding the receiver close to his left ear while the other encircled her waist. Had Kaori been in her normal self, She swore she would've killed him but considering the present situation, that seemed impossible an option. All she could do was to cry within her mind and wished to be free again.

As soon as Ryo kept the receiver down, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned back, to his dismay, he saw Miki san was looking at him with tearful eyes. Her right hand was on his left shoulder, Behind her, Umibozu stood with a stern look on his face. Ryo's gaze turned towards Saeko was silently observing him from couch in the sitting room. He exclaimed "You told them didn't you, Saeko?"  
Saeko answered with a lit-up face "Guilty as charged Ryo! I thought that they might be able to help you. After all, no one here knows you better than Falcon. Am I right Falcon?"  
Umibozu seemed to be furious. He was fuming with anger. "You didn't think it important to tell us about this incident Ryo?"  
Even Miki san was with him, she stood with a hard face. "I didn't expect this from you of all people, Ryo!"  
Ryo was silent, it was evident that he was thinking deeply. Seeing this Umibozu stopped Miki and came forward to pat Ryo on his shoulder. "It was the kidnapper on the phone, isn't it?" he asked.  
Ryo was to lost in thoughts to tell anything.


	20. Chapter 20 : Who are you Woman?

Part XX  
Ryo didn't tell anything, just sat on the couch of the sitting room. His head was sunk and his brows were dark with anguish. Saeko was watching him intently. Two more persons were present in the room who were waiting for Ryo to speak up – Miki and Umibozu. Finally Umibozu broke the seemingly never ending silence "Ryo! It's enough. Its unlike of you to be sad over a matter so small." Miki came and sat beside Ryo and put her palm on his shoulder, "Ryo-Chan, don't be so quiet. Tell us the matter, and hopefully we can help you in saving Kaori-San." Saeko too supported her, "Come on, speak up Ryo!"  
Ryo was in no mood to listen or reply to them. All he thought about was Kaori's letter and the relation of the person mentioned in the letter to this phone call he had received few moments ago. "What were you trying to tell me Kaori? Why did you leave me that letter? Did you know beforehand that you would have to face this day at some point of your life? What is it that I am missing out? Kaori, help me please! If this goes on, I swear, I'm gonna rip him off once I lay my hands on you Fujimaki! I swear on Kaori's name!" thought Ryo, and absent-mindedly shouted out "I will make you pay Fujimaki, if anything happens to her!" Miki, Umibozu and Saeko were looking at him expectantly, but Ryo said nothing and left the apartment silently, not even caring to lock the door. So engrossed in his thoughts he was! But as soon as he came down on the streets, he was in his former self, "The Great Womanizer of Shinjuku"! Miki, who followed him closely and quietly, gave an irritated sigh, "This bastard is never gonna change!" As Ryo walked past the ladies on the streets, he was drooling seeing their assets, as was expected of this great man!  
After Ryo was out of the apartment, Saeko proposed to follow him, but Miki took the opportunity and went out instead for the same reason. As soon as she was out, Umibozu said something, which made Saeko freeze in her current state. He said "Prepare yourself Saeko! I hear a storm coming. This is unlike of Ryo to be so cold and calm in case of so large a crisis. You'll never understand how alone he is now that Kaori is not here with him. That bastard will never admit before anyone, but I know him and trust me, I have never seen him so calm and quiet. Take this as a hint of the weather suddenly calming down before a huge calamity." Saeko was looking at the picture of Kaori and Ryo together, smiling, on the side-table in Kaori's room, she said nothing. Perhaps she had nothing more to say.  
Ryo knew very well that Miki-san was following him closely, but he didn't pay any attention to it and kept doing his work. As he reached Kabuki-Cho, his sixth sense awared him of a danger, as he saw a gleam as he was characteristically grinning and drooling from over the tree seeing the assets of a lady walking down the foot path. His muscles stiffened as he lunged for the lady in the pink kimono. He knew pretty well that it was none other than Miki-San who was following him closely. No sooner had he pushed her off her balance, than two bullets hit the same place on the wall just behind to where she stood. Ryo instantly looked up. If it was an ordinary man, he could probably see nothing, but it was the Shinjuku's One-Shot-Wolf after all! He saw a person with yellow hair standing and grinning over the rooftop of a building about some 500 meters away from the street they were in. "Robert!" he exclaimed.  
No sooner had Ryo left the apartment, than a lady was seen to approach the apartment just from the opposite direction Ryo was walking to. She even crossed Ryo, but he was so deeply lost in the world of thoughts, that he didn't notice her. Instead, he shouted something which made her to give a violent start and freeze in her place. Moments later, she got back to her senses and was seen to coming towards the apartment. Umibozu was sitting idle on a hassock close to the kitchen, but he was not lost as Ryo. He could very well sense the aura of an unknown yet familiar identity approaching them. His face turned to the door. Saeko saw everything that had happened on the street, Ryo's shouting, and the lady's freezing in her place momentarily. She knew all this. Moments later as Umibozu turned his face towards the door, the bell of the apartment rang. Umibozu stopped Saeko and himself went forward to open the door, "Welcome home Kaori!" he said. But the person, who was shocked more than anyone else, was Saeko. She could see that it was not Kaori who was standing behind the door-frame. It was someone else. Although her face had a striking resemblance to that of Kaori's, it was evidently not Kaori." By the time Umibozu too understood his mistake. Although he was blind, but the peculiar training that he had during his youthful days, had taught him to heighten his senses to their limit. So he was in no place appropriate for the term "disabled". He was more of a person "differently abled".


	21. Chapter 21 : Who was it?

This awesome sense of Umibozu led him to believe that lady with the aura of Kaori was not initially Kaori herself. Instead she was someone related to her, Closely related! Following Saeko's gaze, the girl at the door said in a pleasant voice that was uncharacteristic of Kaori "I am Tachiki Sayuri." And then her gaze turned to the only male present in the room : Umibozu, and she asked " I am sorry for asking this, but where is Mr. City Hunter? He was supposed to meet me here." Saeko looked at the young girl in awe, and asked "How do you know him, and how did you get his address?" Even Umibozu gave a suspicious look at her. The girl understood her situation promptly and answered "I had written XYZ on the message board in Shinjuku station, and he answered to it. It was he who told me to meet here. See, I have the paper too where he gave me this address." Saying this, the girl opened her handbag, and showed a crumpled piece of paper which had Ryo's handwriting on it. Saeko took the paper and carefully went through it. On it was written Ryo's apartment number and the floor he lived in. Saeko had no doubt that the scribble was that of Ryo, No one else had such a messed-up handwriting. She returned the paper back to its owner and showed her the way in. Till now the visitor was at the door, with Umibozu guarding her entry, and Saeko looking over his shoulder at the girl. As the girl came in, her eyes were as if searching something around in the room. And it was not much later that her gaze got fixed on the small table in the room they were in. The small table had a joint photograph of Kaori and Ryo laughing together, on it. The young girl rushed to the table and picked up the photograph. She was literally in tears when she held it close to her bosom. "So you were here all the time, Kaori? And there I was, searching for you all over Japan!" she murmured, and moments later she broke into tears. Saeko could understand nothing, but Umibozu silently went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of water. She gulped it down in a sip and then proceeded towards the stairs shouting at the top of his voice "Kaori!... Ka….o…ri… can you hear me?" As he reached the first floor, the loud and stern voice of Umibozu was heard "You won't find what you're looking for. Both of the persons are not here." The girl rushed down to face him, but he sat there itself with an emotionless face. Saeko spoke next "You already crossed him in the street. Remember the person with the white dress whom you crossed minutes before, when you were hasting towards this apartment?" The girl said nothing, just nodded in approval. Saeko continued "That's him. That's the person who gave you this address. That's City Hunter Saeba Ryo"  
For a few moments the girl said nothing, but then she asked the long awaited question "Where is Kaori?"  
Saeko too was prepared for this, she too asked "How do you know her? Why is it that the first time I saw you, I could think of no one else but Kaori? Why is so that your face and Kaori's face are so similar?"  
The girl said nothing for some time. In between Umibozu had brought a hassock from the pile beside the kitchen door, and motioned for her to come over. She said nothing just went and sat over it, and kept her face down, tears started strolling down her eyes and onto the floor. Umibozu sensed it and was a bit at loss to console this young girl crying for unknown reasons.  
Meanwhile in Kabuki-Cho, Miki was aghast with horror and fear. She couldn't even stand straight. Ryo took her right on her left shoulder and helped her to walk to the nearest restaurant. As both of them entered, a girl with red hairs, probably a waiter, came forward and asked "Good morning sir. Good morning Ma'm. What would you like?" Miki ordered for a 2 hot coffee, but Ryo's eyes narrowed. He observed that there were no other female waiters, still this lady seemed familiar in a peculiar way. Ryo could tell it for sure that he knew her, "But how?" he thought. He rose up from his chair and went towards the kitchen. Behind a small parting door, was the kitchen. As expected, a waiter stopped him, "You can't go in, sir. I am sorry" he said politely. Ryo's suspicion was not completely gone, he said unmindfully "Call your manager. I want to meet him." The waiter called someone else and gave him the news, and the other waiter hurriedly disappeared inside. A few minutes later, the manager came rushing. He was a man in mid forties with a neatly combed parted hair and bow-tie, wore perfectly on his neck. As soon he faced Ryo, he exclaimed "Saeba-san! It's you! Tell me how can I help you?" This manager was one of the victims of the yakuza whom Ryo had helped long ago. It seemed that he had that in mind till now. Ryo was lost in thoughts by then. The manager had to call him a number of times "Saeba-San! Hey! …..Saeba-San!" before he regained his senses. He looked at the manager and asked "Hello Muto-san! I had a question in mind that I want to ask the lady-waiter whom I met just now. Could it be too irrelevant if I asked to see her?" The manager had a look of amazement on his face, he laughed for some time and then said "A lady-waiter! Were you dreaming Saeba-San? We have only male crew. All the chef and the waiters here are male. There is not a single female worker here."  
Ryo's head went down with the reply he got and he hit his right fist hard in the wall he was leaning against. "Damn it!" he shouted, which brought Miki-san promptly to him.


	22. Chapter 22 : Kaori, You had a family!

Part XXII

"What's the matter Saeba-San?" asked a completely bewildered Miki-san. She couldn't understand a single thing that was going on in the restaurant. First Kaori disappeared, then the attempt on her, and then this present condition. She couldn't understand one bit of it. Ryo came out of the restaurant and started walking towards his own apartment with Miki-San on his heels. The journey was tiring itself without Kaori, but it was devastatingly a hundred times more tiring due to the question that she asked Ryo throughout the way. Ryo kept mum, he didn't say a word. It was better to guess that he was in no mental condition to answer the questions. He didn't even look up, he just walked the path with his head sunk, and hand in his pockets.

Neither Umibozu and Saeko, nor Ryo and Miki came to know about the new magic crew that was to perform in two days on the occasion of Christmas at the large hall in Kabuki-Cho. They were preparing for their final act. The final act was a heart-throb – "A girl jumps from over a hundred feet and vanishes in the air, and then after a series of performances, reappears in the air and lands safely on the ground." The crew comprised 7 male and 4 female workers, with one male as the leader of the crew. "It seems a nice act" thought Tomo-Chan who had a glimpse of their practice while she was returning from an errand sent by the doctor "The man there seems to be quite handsome" she thought and blushed. It was just then that the person she was looking at turned to her. Although she felt an eerie sensation down her spine, she thought that it would be a good decision to let the doctor and most of all Ryo and Kaori-San to know about this. Both the doctor and Tomo-Chan were completely in dark regarding the sudden disappearance of Kaori. "It's been a long time since Ryo and Kaori-Chan went together to attend a festival. Moreover it's Christmas tomorrow. I should better get going before Doc comes searching for me in the streets." She thought. Actually she was happy regarding the sudden relapse and return of Kaori from the year-long coma. So she went to the clinic bouncing with joy.

"What's the matter Tomo-Chan? Why are you so happy today?" asked the old Doc as she entered the clinic. She answered with the details that she had seen on her way back here. "Hmm…… Sounds good. I'll let Kaori know, don't worry about that. Thanks Tomo-Chan" he said, to which the girl replied with a broad grin. The doctor then immediately went out of the clinic in search for The City Hunter and Kaori, leaving Tomo-Chan in charge of the clinic for the time being.

On the other hand, another drama was going on at Ryo's apartment. The so-called female visitor Tachiki Sayuri was in tears and Saeko was trying her utmost to stop her from crying. After sometime, she stopped crying and asked for another glass of water, which was promptly brought to her by Umibozu. As she drank it in a gulp, both Saeko and Umibozu kept mum and looked at the new visitor's face in the hope that she might start talking finally.

After some final sobs, she started her story "I am Tachiki Sayuri. I work as the Editor-in-chief of the Weekly News Magazine published in Japan." Both Saeko and Umibozu were astonished by her words. "What can possibly the relation between Kaori and her?" thought both of them. But by the time, the visitor had already started talking again "Perhaps you're thinking what can possibly be the connection between me and Kaori." Both Umibozu and Saeko nodded in approval to her question. The girl continued "Before telling that I want to tell about my family back when I was just a kid. We were a happy family. My father used to earn for us, and mother would look after the family as goes the fact of any other normal family. The problem started when the company my father used to work for, broke one day. The company went bankrupt and my father was accused of the crime. We fled from our home. It was winter then, because I can still remember the chilly nights when we stayed out in the cold. There were several days when we slept with hunger lurking within us. My father had to prove his innocence, and we wanted food for ourselves. So, after we had stayed out for a month or more, one morning, my sleep was disturbed by the sound of a quarrel between my mother and him. I didn't quite understand the words then; still I remember words like girl……sell…. Money. All I could do then, was to look at both of them, fighting. After sometime, my father left. I have never seen him since then." Saying this, the female visitor stopped with teary eyes. Umibozu and Saeko both had a question going on in the back of their minds. As soon as she finished, Umibozu could hold it no more, and almost blurted it out "What's the connection of this story with Kaori? Where does Kaori fit in this story?" The girl shouted at the top of her lungs "KAORI WAS MY SISTER! WE WERE FOUR PERSONS IN OUR FAMILY: MY MOTHER, MY MOTHER, ME AND KAORI. MY FATHER HAD KAORI IN HIS ARMS, WHEN I SAW HIM FOR THE LAST TIME. KAORI WAS MY YOUNGER SISTER…….." With this, the girl again broke in tears. Now Saeko asked another question "If she was your sister, how come she hasn't ever talked about you till now? How come we know nothing about you?" The girl kept mum for some time, after which she said "Father was taking Kaori to sell her for a good price, but before that he was chased and shot from behind by a policeman. I came to know about it only last year, when I started searching for him and Kaori. I even tried to track the police officer who had shot him, but it was in vain. No one could tell who did it. I didn't give up, but nothing came out of it. Just the last year, I came to know about the police officer; not his name, but that he had a son named Makimura Hideyuki. It was then that I tried heart and soul to track her down. But I never reached her. Kaori always stayed out of my reach, and yet now, I am at her home, still! Anyway, after I reached Shinjuku, I heard an ancient Chinese proverb 'If you write "XYZ, I have no place to go, please help me" on the message board at Shinjuku station, your wish would be granted' and straightaway went for the message board, hoping it to work. And after I had written my message and was coming out of the station, I was run on by some mad man. I went to the hotel I was living in, since I came to Shinjuku and it was there that I found that someone had slipped this in the pocket of my overcoat. I was awake the whole night. I couldn't think of anything, I just locked the door of my room and came here, the first thing today morning."


	23. Chapter 23 : Key To Succeed

Just then, the doorbell of the apartment rang once again. Saeko rushed to open it, thinking that the person on the opposite side was Ryo, but to her disappointment, it wasn't him. It was the Old Doc from the Hanazano Clinic. Umibozu grumbled from the hassock itself "Hello Doc, What brings you here? Come in please." The Old Doc least expected to see Saeko and Umibozu here, but was happy to see them together with Kaori after so long. "Hello Kaori! It seems like you're doing fine. Can you get me a glass of water please?" he said from behind the girl who had come to visit Ryo. The Doc waited for the water for quite some time before Umibozu finally realized what he meant and himself went to fetch the water. In the meantime Doc nudged 'Kaori' on her right shoulder "Kaori…… Are you even…..?" He realized his mistake then and there as she turned back her face to face him. He retorted with a shock "You're not Kaori! Are you? Who are you girl? I thought…….." Umibozu stopped him midway, coming to him with a glass of water "She is her elder sister. Her name is Tachiki Sayuri. She works as the Editor-in-chief of the Weekly News Magazine of Japan. The Old Doc was bewildered by the sudden occurrences. He could understand nothing. He knelt down, holding his head with his hands. "If you're not Kaori…………." He turned to face Saeko and Umibozu, "WHERE IS SHE?" he shouted.

Umibozu had just opened his mouth to say something, but the girl looked up at the Old Doc and asked "How do you know Kaori?" The Doc looked at Saeko, who told him "She and Ryo are out to take a stroll in the market." The truth was Saeko and Umibozu didn't want the Doc to know about the present incidents. Who knows if he might have a heart attack himself! Just then the doorbell rang once again. Saeko was close to the door, so she went for it. It was Ryo and Miki-San this time. Miki couldn't stand up straight due to the dive she previously had due to Ryo's attempt on her for saving her life from the bullets. So she had to take Ryo's help for standing straight. She wasn't injured as such, just a sprained ankle, while Ryo: he had a sunken face with hollow eyes which were burning with anger. Saeko could almost find Ryo sad to his limit, but that was only for a flash. As soon as he saw the girl sitting in the drawing-room, his expression changed to the famous lecherous, wicked, drooling womanizer Saeba Ryo as was the norm. "Hello Sayuri-Chan!" he jumped on the girl and was promptly stopped midway by a frying pan thrown from the kitchen by Umibozu, moments later, the grumpy voice of whom was heard rumbling in the house "Stop pretending for god's sake Ryo! Its time you get serious you moron!" By that time Miki was already busy climbing the stairs to the first floor with Saeko's help. Saeko just turned her corner of the eye and could see Ryo sitting on the ground with his head sunk on his chest. "Stop being a maniac Ryo and start searching for her" she thought in her mind as she helped Miki to reach the bathroom in Kaori's room.

Soon after Ryo was hit by the frying pan thrown by Umibozu, the girl jumped up with a loud shriek because she wasn't aware of the lecherous side of so great a person as the City Hunter of Shinjuku. "Who are you Mr.?" she asked, evidently offended. Umibozu answered from the kitchen "He is the one you've been looking for : The City Hunter. The one you had tried to contact through XYZ on the board. He is Saeba Ryo." The girl looked at Ryo with large eyes. She was perhaps too astonished to speak. After some time she gathered all her wits together, but still she couldn't find a single thing about this man that could draw a girl like Kaori to live with him. For her, he was an irritating guy who was a pervert and womanizer. "How could she live with him?" thought Sayuri. Just then Umibozu came with a cup of steaming tea on a tray, and it was just then, Miki called out for Ryo from the toilet.

Saeko was there when Miki locked the toilet door, keeping herself in. No sooner had she reached the stairs, than she heard Miki call for Ryo. It was as if she wanted to show him something. Saeko saw that Ryo stood up, and came towards the stairs, evidently not in a hurry. Then he climbed them and went to Kaori's room (the bathroom was attached to her room). Miki had opened the door, and she had wrapped herself up in a towel. Ryo seeing her in that state went in his womanizer mode, but just then Umibozu's voice rang loud in the whole house "You dare not lay a finger on her Ryo! If you do, I'll kill you, you moron!" Ryo controlled himself and went forward to face her.

As soon as Ryo stood face-to-face with Miki, she pulled his hand in to the bathroom. "See that Ryo?" she indicated to Kaori's trousers that were hung from the wall rack on the bathroom. Ryo gave a nonchalant look, once at the trousers and once at Miki wrapped in towel. "Yeah yeah, you can use them if you like Miki-San. I won't mind at all!" he said without a second thought, and was about to go out of the bathroom. Miki held him by his ears, "Idiot! I didn't point to the trousers Ryo! What's that pointing out of its pocket?" Miki pointed to one of the pocket which had a slight bulge. Ryo went forward to bring the trouser down and put his hand in its pocket. The result was an unexpected one: A key came out.


	24. Chapter 24 : Flashbacks

Miki was still wondering in her mind what the key was related to, when out of the blue, Sayuri was seen on the corridor of Kaori's room. "What's the matter? Is everything all right?" she asked. Saeko was about to give the answer, when her eyes fell on Ryo. Ryo sat on the edge of the tub, deeply lost in thoughts. His brow was dark but his eyes were gleaming with hope and revenge. Never had Saeko seen him like that. In fact the great City Hunter was never normally seen to be thinking about anything except mokkori hotties on the streets of Shinjuku, no one had ever seen him to think, not even Umibozu. Just then the grumpy voice of Umibozu was heard "Hey you imbecile! Do you intend to take a bath with your clothes on? Or do you want to be left alone you moron! Lazy swine!! Get up." Ryo didn't waste a single moment and straightaway went towards the only large cupboard on the eastern wall of the room. By the time the Old Doc came up to the first floor too. He was passing puzzled glances with Sayuri and Saeko, both of whom didn't have the slightest idea what Ryo was up to. Just then Ryo was heard to murmur something. Umibozu, Saeko and Sayuri stopped the whisper to hear "Fujimaki Masashi let's see who you are! Let's see your true identity. After that I promise, you'll repent the day you were born. I will make you repent for that. I will make you understand why I am called the City Hunter!" With the murmur Ryo put the key in the lock, and turned it. Luckily the lock opened with a faint metallic clang and inside it was a mess seen. Lots of Kaori's dresses were piled up in a heap, with her underwear too. There was a rusty handjar, which was stained with dry blood on the topmost shelf of the cupboard and beside it was a picture of Ryo and Kaori smiling together. Ryo picked up the picture, and gazed intently at it, all the while murmuring to himself "I pray you're alright, wherever you are, Kaori! Stay alive while I come for you, my sugar boy! Stay alive." With this murmur, he took the picture and went towards Saeko. Without a single word, he pulled one of her hairpins off her head and then went towards the bed and sat on it with the two equipments. Saeko, Sayuri and the Old Doc were looking at him with large astonished eyes, but Ryo didn't have time to meet their gazes, he was cut off from the outside world. It seemed he didn't even remember that he wasn't alone and that there were more people with him. Umibozu came in the room and stood beside the door such that no one must have a problem for him. Ryo was busy in his work in one corner of the city.

In another corner of the city, someone else was having a hazy look out from a window of an unknown building. She was Kaori. Kaori could see some people doing something, but everything was hazy. Nothing was prominent. "What's happened to me?" she thought while gazing at the men, having their own way. Just then her gaze fell on the window. She parted the flaps to see the surroundings. "Wow! The view is so nice." She thought to herself. Just then she saw a figure, more appropriately, a face before her. The face alone was enough to burst off her pulse to a high rate. It's that face, the reason she's away from the only person she loved in this entire world: Ryo! It all happened due to that one face. No matter how much she hated him, it so seemed that she couldn't bring out her emotions whenever she's with him. Moment ago she could open the flaps of the window out of her own free will, and look at her now! She can't even think straight! Her emotions, her thoughts seem to strangle whenever she's with him. Anyway, the face was just seen for a few seconds, and then he again disappeared amongst the men that were working. Kaori again turned her gaze and her concentration towards the open window. She doesn't know why, but this open window brought back lots of memories for her. She couldn't remember the memories then, but deep inside, her heart knew that there were feelings that wanted to break free. She can't remember her past anymore. She is a new person now, but at times, her heart pounds a bit faster whenever she thinks of a hazy shadow of a person with blue overcoat on a red t-shirt and black trousers. She can't remember his name, but she knows it deep inside her heart that she is somehow linked with him. She wanted to meet him just for once, but in this unknown city? That seemed to be impossible as a thought itself! And above all, this peculiar man she was staying with! Every time he touches her, she feels disgusted for some reason. She isn't sure about the reason. Just then someone called out her name; it was that eerie, peculiar man! She can't remember his name at all, or so it seemed. He was calling her. Kaori stood up. Although she had a smile on her face, she knew in her heart that the smile was a fake. It was as if she was forced to smile by an unknown identity. She proceeded towards the man! "Hello my love! Come closer to me dear! After all, you are the only one who is the closest to my heart, Kaori!" Kaori went towards the person and embraced him without a further word! The person's looks was more peculiar than his behavior. He had shoulder-long hair that was artificially coloured, perhaps from a gent's salon, his eyes were something a normal person would never have; the eyes were snake-like, the owner of which always seemed to be a cold-blooded murderer. He even wore rectangular spectacles on them. No sane person would probably make friends with someone with such eyes. His dressing sense was the only thing to take a heed at! He was truly a fashionist when it comes to dressing! After a short hug, the person separated himself from her. "Friends, enough practice for today! Let's take a rest for now! After all, the big show is just tomorrow; so no practice for these two days. ENJOY GUYS! So I'll meet you people at the venue itself. Till then BYE!!!" he said before lending out his left hand before Kaori all the while looking at her eyes, who without even thinking for a moment kept her right palm on his hand. "Bye Kuromahou! And best of luck for the marriage! Hope you two have a great life together!" said all of the people with whom the person was practicing so hard for the past few hours. The person gave a wide smile and then proceeded towards the lift.


	25. Chapter 25 : Kaori's Marriage ?

With the needle like hair-clip, Ryo worked like a perfect medical student, busy at a dissection. He carefully cut the picture out of its frame, and there it was! On the frame just below the picture, was a circular thing wrapped in a piece of paper. It was hidden so well that even Ryo wondered if it was Kaori who did it. Saeko, Sayuri and the Old Doc's eyes' widened as they saw it. Ryo on the other hand, was nonchalant as ever. With a gesture of his hand, he called Saeko close to him and whispered something in her ears. Saeko nodded and immediately disappeared through the door taking the small paper-wrapped thing with her. Umibozu couldn't understand anything, so he just became the silent observer of everything that was going on in the room. Even Miki couldn't muster the courage to ask anything to Ryo. Only Sayuri gathered all her courage and came before him. "Please tell me what's happening here Mr. City Hunter! Where is my sister? How do you know her? How are both of you connected with each other? Please answer me! Please…….." she begged, falling on her knees. It was Ryo who picked her up by her shoulders. Miki was astonished seeing his eyes. The eyes didn't resemble that of a pervert, instead those eyes resembled that of a man in a deep, intolerable pain. Umibozu too left the room. Sayuri didn't expect the man who was such a pervert a few minutes ago, to give such a reaction to so small a question. She too stared at Ryo blankly. The look of his eyes stayed for just a few minutes, before they again changed to that of a lecherous pervert. Miki sighed as she saw Sayuri hit him hard with the same 1000 tonne hammer which was characteristic of Kaori. Ryo was shocked to his core, seeing the hammer in her hands and just after getting hit, said "Seems peculiarly familiar Sayuri-Chan!"

While this drama was being performed at one end of Shinjuku city, there was something else going on in the same city too. In one of the numerous churches present there, a peculiar eerie man and a beautiful tomboyish girl with red hairs were getting married. The red-haired girl looked no less than an angel in the spotless white wedding dress, and the eerie man was somewhat off-beat in the black tuxedo he was wearing. Somehow, both of them didn't match up at all. It seemed that the girl deserved someone much better. The priest and the bride-groom were standing at the altar and the bride was walking on the red carpet through the main door of the cathedral. Let's clear our concepts: The red-haired girl is none other than Kaori Makimura, and about the eerie man? Well, let's see who he turns out to be. Kaori was walking on the red carpet and suddenly something happened to her. Her legs stopped moving. In her mind, there were flashes of some incidents. She had been in such situation before too. She just couldn't remember when, or how. All she could visualize in the flashes, was that there was someone else with her, someone who wore a blue overcoat on a red t-shirt and black trousers. His eyes were much deeper than they seemed to be. Kaori's heart pounded faster and faster before her legs gave way, and she fell on the carpet there itself. Just before she blacked out, she remembered something and muttered "R…yo….." Lot of people came running to the girl who blacked out on the carpet. The priest had a smirk on his lips. "It's alright. It happens often before marriage. After all, marriage is the biggest change in the life of a girl. So she happens to be in a mental trauma which often results in such mishaps. So nothing to worry" He went on to explain the spectators of the marriage. Just as Kaori was falling on the carpet, the bride-groom had already lunged for her. As she blacked out, he had a hard face with clenched jaws. It seemed that he was really disturbed seeing this incident. He quietly took the bride in his arms and went towards the limousine parked just in front of the cathedral. After he carefully placed the fainted bride on the back seat, he drove with a considerable speed and disappeared in the roads of Shinjuku.

After Ryo went out to the room, he finally realized that it was gradually becoming dark outside as he could no longer see the sun. His memories started flashing before his eyes again. He felt as if Kaori was there with him, beside him. It seemed that she would shout at him all of a sudden. Ryo's brow darkened with anxiety. He remembered of the instance where he had a peculiar case once: Two brothers had tried to murder his client Asakura Tomomi, to prevent that he had to arrange for a fake incident of marriage. Kaori had become the bride, while he had become the groom himself. He still remembered how beautiful Kaori looked in that wedding dress. She was a scene to look at. As she caught him gazing at her blankly, she had blushed and asked "What do you think you are looking at, Ryo?" with a frown on her forehead. Ryo had to lie to come out of the situation, but god knows he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her and propose her then and there itself, but he was afraid then. Ryo repented for that moment today. After all, it was Kaori he was thinking about. He subconsciously went up the lift of the deserted building which had become his unofficial abode when Kaori was seemingly dead. Ryo sighed as he went to the balcony of the terrace and gazed at the now-dark sky with numerous stars. "I don't know how to save you Kaori. I can't think of any way out of this never-ending nightmare. Show me a way out Kaori. Please show me a way out. We didn't ever stay apart when we weren't in love. And now when both of us know that we love each other, look at us…….. " Ryo's eyes bubbled with tears. Suddenly, after quite a bit of time, again, his sixth sense aware him of a danger beforehand. He ducked against the balcony, cocked his 0.357 Colt Python and waited for the right moment. Out of nowhere he fired at the construction site next to the terrace of the building he was on. "Robert!" he grumped in between his jaws, moments later a shrill cry rung in the evening air. Ryo bolted towards the life and after reaching the basement, furiously dashed at the construction site.


	26. Chapter 26 : Where Is Kaori?

Meanwhile, somewhere in Shinjuku, Kaori laid in a bed, softer than feather. As she fluttered her eyes open, for a moment, a mirage flashed before her eyes. It was of a man in blue overcoat on a red vest and black trousers. It seemed that he was kissing her! The mirage seemed so real, that Kaori had goose bumps all over her body and something funny ran down her spine. She still couldn't remember about any incident except the probable name of the man: RYO! "R……….yo" was all that she could mutter, opening her eyes from the half-asleep state. Just then she heard a voice "Hello my dear! How're you feeling now? Are you alright? MY God! You had nearly given me a heart-attack there in the cathedral!" Kaori tilted her head on the pillow to look to her side. All she could was a pair of eyes, eyes of an eerie person. She didn't know why, but suddenly something chilly ran down her spine. Suddenly all her senses went numb just before which she felt a pang of pain on her left wrist. Kaori could remember herself drowning into the darkness that slowly devoured her from all around. Her heart cried from within her, but she couldn't help it. Those eyes took her to a completely different world, where she had no control over herself.

"WILL ANYONE TELL ME WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?" shouted the Old Doc as Ryo slowly went out of the room. Sayuri too nodded to his words. Umibozu had tried to remain silent, but Miki-San blurted out from the toilet, momentarily closing the toilet-door to change into one of Kaori's trousers and then came out "Kaori is kidnapped" she said. Umibozu tried to stop her, but she retorted with a strong voice "Falcon! They have the right to know! Sayuri is her sister and Doc saved her life! Both of them deserves to know her………. Hey Doc! What happened?" her words were cut short as the Old Doc was seen to sit on the ground itself with a loud thud! "Again! Does this girl goes around searching for dangers?" he muttered! Umibozu gave Miki a stern look through the black-glasses (he is blind now, its previously mentioned!) he was wearing and went out of the room without any further word. Minutes later the door to the apartment was heard to open and close simultaneously, which explained that he went out of the apartment. The Old Doc was still sitting on the ground. "What shall we do now?" asked Sayuri. Miki had a frown on her forehead, "I don't happen to have the slightest clue to that, Sayuri-san. I don't like the sound of that" she said with sunken hopes. Finally the Old Doc said "So, that's why Ryo is so demoralized. No wonder he's shuddered to his inner self." Just then Miki san asked "What was the reason you stepped in here doc? Was it something very important?" The Doc thought for a bit and then said "Tomo-Chan saw that there is a magic show upcoming tomorrow due to the event of Christmas." Miki gave a startled look, "So tomorrow's Christmas, huh? There's the reason Ryo is so much depressed. It was the same day six years ago, when he met with Kaori, and in the same day after about a year of their meeting, Kaori had decided to celebrate Ryo's birthday. Ryo didn't have a personal identity of his own, neither did posses any memories regarding his past. After he met Kaori, everything changed. He got a life he had longed for, and Kaori got a partner who cared for her. Both were so happy in their lives together, that sometimes I myself envied them, and now look at them! Both are probably trying their level best to come closer to the other" she thought. Miki could only see one side of the story: Ryo's side, but although she couldn't see or Kaori, she was sure about her too. She clasped her hands and prayed to god to unite them as soon as possible. Sayuri was watching her with a bit of surprise, finally she couldn't help asking her "What's the matter? Why are you acting so weirdly?" The Old Doc too gazed at her intently. Miki went on to tell them about the incidents of how Ryo and Kaori met each other, what Ryo's been through for the past year, how he longed for Kaori and finally Kaori sudden relapse and return to his life, everything. Sayuri heard her till the last drop. It was as if she could see the incidents before her eyes. She mumbled "So that's the reason I couldn't get to you the previous time I tried to write XYZ, Mr. Saeba. Now I understand why there were no cases of any mysterious incidents from Shinjuku." Sayuri could finally understand how deeply Ryo cared for Kaori, how deeply he was moved by the incident. But there was one question in her mind, which she asked Miki "Why is she kidnapped now? Who did it?" Miki nodded her head in utter disapproval, "I don't have the slightest bit of information to that question, Sayuri. Neither Saeko or Umibozu knows anything about it, but perhaps Ryo knows who the kidnapper is. I had heard him to call out a peculiar name once before."


	27. Chapter 27 : Is It really you?

Ryo didn't waste a single moment, as he was climbing the stairs of the incomplete building; he held his favourite Colt Python cocked up over his shoulders in his right hand. His face bore a serious expression, which was characteristic of him during a chase. As he reached the sixth floor, he took his stance behind a thick incomplete pillar. For a few moments, there was no sound heard except of the crickets, which rattled in the upcoming dark atmosphere as the sun was on its way to take a rest for the day. But after that, a faint sound was heard, which was enough for the great City Hunter to take aim towards the sound. Although Ryo had taken his aim towards the sound, for an unknown reason, his mind wouldn't approve him of taking the shot. He didn't know why, but for the first time in his life he was in this kind of a situation, where his mind and body reacted in a different way during the time of need. "For some reason…." Ryo implied to himself, "I still feel guilty of taking the first shot. The aura of the person here, seems peculiarly familiar, which is near to impossible." Just then a hideous thought crossed his mind "Could it be…?" But that seemed a fact to obvious for the present moment, and so Ryo threw the pistol in its holster on his chest and darted towards the sound blindly, in the fear of the worst. The shriek he had heard was making a clear sense to him now. "Fujimaki, you better prove me wrong this time, or else…." He shouted as he reduced the gap between himself and the producer of the sound in a tremendous speed. It seemed that the person who made the sound, was injured and was dragging something along with him. As Ryo cut the distance close to the person, all he could see was a person dragging a large box. From the profession and the current status Ryo was in, one glance at the box told him that it contained an unassembled sniper rifle. Just then the 'person' left the box and put 'his' hand behind 'his' waist to drag out, what could be seen as a pistol. Ryo flipped over to the back of a nearest pillar on his right side as multiple bullets were fired at him implying that the user of the gun is a novice, still he didn't touch his gun in its holster on his chest below the blue overcoat. Somehow, for a mysterious reason, his heart told him not to. Instead, at the very much opportune moment, as the 'person' was busy reloading 'his' pistol, Ryo pounced on 'him' in a flash, even faster than lightening. The person couldn't think of this unusual circumstance too, so he tried hard to get himself off Ryo's vice-like grip. Ryo's eyes had widened as soon as he had pounced on the person. One glance at him, and he could tell without the slightest doubt that the person was none other than his love, his life: Kaori Makimura! Ryo couldn't believe his eyes, as well as his senses. This so called split personality stayed only for a flash of a moment. Kaori was trying her utmost to free herself off Ryo's grasp, but how could Ryo leave her! Just then Kaori spoke "So, you're here, the great City Hunter Saeba Ryo! I was waiting for you." Ryo couldn't hear a single word anymore because by that time his eyes had caught the deep wound on Kaori's right elbow that was a result of his own fire. Ryo's eyes bubbled with pain as he saw his sweetheart struggling to get free from the very person who loves her more than even his own life. "What have you become Kaori? Who did this to you?" Ryo mumbled with anger welling up inside his head. Just then Kaori spoke again "So you got my gift, right?" Ryo's eyes narrowed as his "City Hunter" sense awared him of an upcoming danger ahead. Without a second thought, he tightly hugged Kaori and jumped down from the building. Split moments later the area in Shinjuku thundered with the sound of a blast.

Umibozu had returned to the Cat's eye café. "It should be already evening, and the sun is probably already kissing goodbye now!" he thought as he opened the door with the key from his pocket as was the custom. With his incredible sense, he had learnt to master his actions through his daily habit, as he was blind. Miki was still at Ryo's apartment. "Seems like she'll be taking quite a lot of time to return today" he thought as he had his first customer for the evening. As he was thinking all these, the door to the café opened and closed with a metallic "Ting" (The shop in Japan, and many shops here too, keep chime or bells tied to their doors, as they think that they bring good luck for the shop. Due to these chimes the doors open with a sweet sound.)


	28. Chapter 28 : Is this the end?

Ryo looked at the now-unconscious Kaori in his arms as both of them dangled dangerously from an iron pillar of the incomplete building. On his left hand Ryo held the pillar while on the right, he held Kaori close to his heart with all his might. The fact that she was dangerously dangling with him about a hundred meters from the ground level, added to his worries. How he would put her down safely, thought Ryo. "Only if I could get my hands on You Fujimaki, I would've torn you apart with my bare hands! Just wait till I lay my hands on you. I'll never forgive you for doing this to Kaori. I'll never forgive you!" mumbled Ryo looking at Kaori In his arms with teary eyes while he could sense that his grip on the pillar was already loosening. Once he loses his grip, it was not himself that he was worried about, but was solely worried about Kaori. Just then he heard a voice below him, a feminine voice, "Leave it Ryo, let it go. We've got you. Kaori won't be hurt!" In a flash of a moment Ryo's numb senses were wide awake; So Saeko is here! Still, how could Ryo leave Kaori alone? He let go of the pillar and embraced Kaori with both his hands and himself adjusted beneath her in such a way that when they touch the ground, he'll be the person to get the first hit. As he let go of his hand, he could feel his body getting lighter and lighter, while in a glance he looked down and his eyes widened. Saeko and the other police had really come to his rescue, but there was a glitch in the arrangement: a bit of miscalculation. The trampoline they had put in order for Ryo and Kaori to land on, was a bit far away from where they would actually land. In other words, Ryo and Kaori was about to hit the ground in the present condition. Without even thinking for a split second, Ryo pushed Kaori in mid air and himself went further away. As his head made an impact on the ground, everything blurred in front of his eyes and his senses went dull, but before that, he saw a silhouette figure landing on the trampoline as numerous other shadows went for her rescue. Ryo lost his sense after this vision. Even in the state of his unconsciousness, Saeko could hear Ryo mutter Kaori's name quite a number of times. She cursed herself for having miscalculated the exact location of their impact. It was due to her, that Ryo got hurt. She just couldn't forgive herself. As she was busy in her thoughts, she heard a grumpy voice behind her and jumped around to find Umibozu and Old Doc behind her. Umibozu had a stern face, all he could muster with a heavy voice was "How is Kaori? Hey moron, what are you lying down for? Get up you lazy swine!" but on the other hand, his heart told him that nothing was alright. His awesome sense was the answer to his own question. He boldly walked forward to the now-prostrate figure of Kaori, as his hands went towards her neck out of reflex. "She seems to be OK. It's just a minor case of shock I suppose" he said with a large sigh.

Ryo's black-out was only for mere seconds, after which he sat back up. His forehead was stained with his own blood. His left hand pained like hell, still the first thought that came to his head as soon as he regained his sense was "How's Kaori? Is she alright?" But even before he could ask anyone about her, his eyes caught a known figure walking to him. For a blink of moment, his mind went numb, and his memories went blank, but the next moment, he saw Saeko standing before him. "She's alright Ryo" she told, looking at his questioning gaze at her, and then she added, with her gaze fixed down, "I am sorry for the miscalculation. I truly am, Ryo! Forgive me for this, will you?" Ryo said nothing except three words, "Where is she?" Saeko pointed to the prostrate figure surrounded by many figures lying not far away from where he was. Ryo's heart almost leaped to his mouth as his gaze fell on his "Sugar Boy". In spite of his injuries, he staggered back to his feet. He couldn't even stand straight, still he limped to her. Saeko was coming to help him, but Umibozu stopped her waving his forefinger, gesturing her not to do so. Saeko stayed in her place while she helplessly saw Ryo staggering to Kaori. As he reached her, he knelt down and all the other officials who surrounded her gave way for Ryo. From his facial expression, it was evident that he was in ample amount of pain, but he was determined to face this living hell just to hear her voice once again. Saeko was moved to her core. Never before had she observed Ryo to care so deeply for Kaori. She recalled that all they (Ryo and Kaori) ever did was to challenge each other which would always end with Kaori chasing Ryo with her favourite 100 tonne hammer, the hit of which was an inevitable incident for Ryo. Seeing Ryo in his present condition, Saeko wondered "When did they come so close?"


	29. Chapter 29 : Kaori and DRUGGED?

Even with the darkness surrounding her soul, Kaori's inner self was wide awake. The darkness that surrounded her soul from all sides seemed peculiarly familiar to her; it seemed that she knew this feeling quite well. It was awfully similar to the feeling when she was in a coma. Even in the darkest sensation of the darkness surrounding her, Kaori could hear a voice calling out her name very softly. The voice was soft with patience, but she could sense hope and sadness in it at the same time. She knew the voice. There is but one person in the whole world the voice would belong to. "It must be Ryo! It has to be you, Ryo. I just know" her inner self cried out inside her head, but the darkness didn't diminish, not even by a pinch. There was not a trace of the slightest ray of light around her, but she could hear his voice as clear as a day. Her mind went blank and she desperately wanted to open her eyes just to get a glimpse of the only person she had ever loved truly: Ryo!

As Ryo kneeled down, he could feel his insides churning up with the pain in his bones, still he paid no heed to it. At that moment all that mattered was Kaori's health. The life from his previous year flashed before his eyes: the previous year where he didn't have anyone to return to, no home to turn to at the end of a day, no one to hope something from, no one to abstain him from the very evil that he faced each and every day of his life. After he 'accidentally' found Kaori, he dearly wished for such day not to return to his life ever. No one could understand his mental state, but in truth he was moved to his core, living his life in the past year. As he found Kaori, he had taken for granted that his days of suffering was over, but yet here he was, facing the worst fear of his nightmare coming true before his very eyes yet again after that fateful rainy night approximately a year ago. "Kaori………….? Hey Kaori….. Get up please…….. For God's sake………" he softly called out after he had kneeled down. There was no answer. There was no response from her side. Out of options, Ryo leaned down, and touched her lips with his own. The result was not much different. Instead he heard a voice near his ears, the voice was a loud pitched one, "Ryo, it seems like she was drugged. We have checked her body; we found several needle marks on both of her wrists Whoever she was with, for the past few days, have possibly drugged her. Ryo was bewildered, all he could understand, was that, the only person he was ever attached to, the only person he ever loved, was suffering before his very eyes, and he could do nothing about it. God knows how helpless he felt at his heart! He was trying to get back up on his feet knowing that any try to wake her up would possibly be futile, but the surprise was, he couldn't! As he tried to get back up, he could feel his blue overcoat being pulled down by something. When he looked for it, he was surprised to find that it was none other than Kaori who had gripped a corner of the hem of his overcoat. Ryo didn't even make a further try to stand up. He bent over her prostrate figure, and brought his mouth neat to her ears, "Kaori, can you hear me?" he whispered in her ears, "If you can, please open your eyes. Don't make me more afraid than I already am, at the present moment! Please Kaori, I beg of you!" He added with a damp, heavy voice. By now even Umibozu had come behind Ryo. No one could understand Umibozu, but he too was tensed about Kaori's not returning to her senses. He knew that under normal circumstances, Kaori would take mere minutes to come back to her senses, especially if Ryo's hurt so badly. It was unnatural of her to be senseless for so long! "Something's not right" he thought. Just then Ryo observed that Kaori was fluttering her eyes. She still couldn't open them, but it so seemed that she was trying hard to do so. Seeing her like this, Saeko didn't waste a single moment and blew the whistle that she had been carrying in her hands for quite a long time now. The result was as expected, several armed officials came and almost instantly an ambulance came and stopped just before the construction site. Several nurses appeared from within it carrying a stretcher, in which they carried Kaori to it, and with Kaori, Ryo had to go too, because Kaori never released her grip on the hem of his blue overcoat that she had grabbed somehow. This time Ryo was not prepared to leave her alone, in spite of Saeko's prohibitions, he went with her.

Kaori could hear and feel Ryo's voice alright, but she couldn't see him. She had already been through this feeling once before. It so seemed that this tome was no exception. Kaori was entangled in a similar turbulence again. Her inner self was crying aloud to break free of the shackles that bound her to this world of deaf and blind; That bound her in a world where one can only feel, but can't see or respond to the person he/she loves. Kaori was trying her utmost to open her eyes. The time she saw Ryo for the last time, walking toward the market flashed before her eyes. She could understand that if she didn't take any action soon, her body, along with her senses would forever be lost. In other words, she could sense the eternal sleep approaching her gradually. She could feel herself sinking into the never-ending darkness around herself. The darkness here resembled a vortex of quicksand, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't break free of its trap. Just then she felt the softest touch on her lips. "WHAT! NOT AGAIN! THAT BASTARD! HE'S ACTUALLY………" she couldn't think any further, she tried her utmost to open her eyes, but it was as if they're made of lead; they won't open. With the last bit of strength she had left within herself, she moved her left hand, and there it was; the hem of his blue overcoat perhaps! Kaori caught hold of it with all her might, never to let it go perhaps! Sometimes later, she could hear sunken voices, and even after that, she could feel herself being lifted and taken to somewhere but she never loosened the grip of her right hand in which she held her life; her Ryo!


	30. Chapter 30 : City Hunter Origin! Kaori!

The ambulance was rapidly nearing its destination: THE SHINJUKU CITY HOSPITAL. Ryo knew very well that if Kaori wasn't made to wake up soon, there won't be any possibility of her waking up at all. That was one of the worst nightmares that he ever had ever since he grew fond of her. Due to this very feeling Ryo didn't accept her love initially; he thought that if he did, then there was a wide possibility that Kaori might get hurt due to him. This was the very fear that lurked within the darkest corners of his mind; the only fear that he had never ever given a second thought about, until the previous year when Kaori was 'seemingly' dead. He knew in his heart how hard it was for him just to be alive without her. Each and every moment seemed like a decade where he was exiled from his own self from the only place he was destined to: his love Kaori! Ryo saw the face of now-asleep Kaori, sleeping peacefully with the hem of his jacket gripped tightly in her right hand and thought of the day he first saw her.  
This story started on one of the unnamed streets of Shinjuku. City Hunter was not formed then. After all, Hideyuki (Kaori's Brother) and Ryo hadn't met till then. The morning was no different than the previous one; the sun was shining brilliantly, the astral breeze was similar to any other day. There was not a vestige of the wrath the night had presented itself with. Ryo remembered very well; he remembered that day as if the incidents happened just a few moments ago. Ryo still remembered the morning because that was the first time something good had ever happened with him. LOVE! So small a word yet so deep and pure in its literal sense!

The night was a stormy one (We are talking about the night just before the day mentioned above), with cats and Dogs raining. Ryo was new to the town, with nothing but his favourite toy (Colt Python 0.357 Magnum) in his holster. The gangster of his rival group had followed him in this new city too. He had no other way out except to kill them. All eight of them broke in on him. Ryo was an easy match against four to five in a fair fight, but against eight? Well the result of it was as expected. Ryo was fast, but the constant lack of food and lack of shelter, had made him weak. He fell prey to the group, but he never gave in, he fought until the very end. His weakness caused him to be unable to dodge their bullets, which resulted in his injury. He was a heartless killing machine then. All he knew then, was to survive, he then lived totally on his guerrilla instincts. The fight ended at the break of dawn. New sunrise had brought new hopes and new possibilities in the lives of all the people: especially in his! As the light of dawn grew stronger, so did the hope of remaining alive fade from his mind. Ryo could understand very well that he didn't have much time. The wound on his chest spit blood. There was blood everywhere around him. From the place he laid on his chest, he could see with hazy eyes, people walking on the street, momentarily looking at him and then again walking off as if nothing had happened. Then…. Just then… he saw eyes: Large eyes with tears on 'em. His senses were gradually sinking, but he could feel someone approaching at a fast pace. Moments later, as he opened his eyes, he felt that someone was trying to roll him over his back. The person even succeeded after quite some tries. Just when Ryo was about to be sunk in the lifelong darkness that encored his soul, he heard a female voice "So you're one of those street thugs again, aren't you? Why can't you people lead a normal life, huh? Aren't you people afraid of guns and bullets?" Ryo slowly opened his eyes only to see a figure in a yellow T-shirt and a brown skirt. His hazy eyes couldn't make out the face of the person then; he was not even in a state to do so too! He had just murmured "Don't save me. Go, walk out … far from me…. Pretend… I … never …. happened!" The person, perhaps, had gave out a dainty laugh and then Ryo heard the same female voice again "Well, I can't leave you alone. If I do so, you're gonna die!" Ryo again had fluttered his eyes open in shock, but he couldn't keep them open for long, he murmured "Let….. me … die…. I .. am …. a Trash. You … go ..on" Those were the last words of himself that he could remember. All that happened after, was a mystery for him till today. He still can't remember how she managed to take him to the clinic. Ryo came to his senses after about 5 days of this incident. The Old Doc had said that he had tried everything to wake him from the coma Ryo was in, but he could do nothing. Ryo just knows this much that those 5 days were the shortest days of his life. The female voice speaking - "Why can't you people lead a normal life, huh? Aren't you people afraid of guns and bullets?... Well, I can't leave you alone. If I do so, you're gonna die" ran in his head all the while. Ryo didn't ever sleep peacefully until then, but those 5 nights? It was quite surprising that he had had a sound sleep. When he woke up, he couldn't remember anything at the beginning, but with the passage of minutes, he recollected the incidents of the particular rainy night, and as soon as he felt good enough to be sitting up (which was about after 2 days of his awakening) he fled from the clinic in the dead of a night. He still remembers the teary eyes of this soft-cornered girl (his 'sugar boy': Kaori), he had seen through the window of the first floor when he was waiting to meet someone in the blind alley just on the opposite end. That person he was waiting for, was none other than Hideyuki Makimura, her brother. Although that meeting ended unpleasantly, Ryo had saved his life twice after that, which led both of them to start a new organization, with a pen-name jointly against anti-socials of Shinjuku: "City Hunter". Ryo decided to be the face of the organization led by just two unknown people, the sole aim of whom was to eradicate crime from the small city of Japan. Hideyuki himself was a police inspector, so in a way the job became much easier. Both of them decided not to tell Kaori about this. By that time Ryo and Kaori met for a numerous times, and Kaori had already fallen for Ryo. But Ryo knew what was at stake, so he kept as much distance from her, as he could. At times it was not enough, he himself repented sometimes, but he knew what she meant to his partner Hideyuki. Hideyuki was not the one in the dark too, he had observed that although Ryo could easily dodge bullets, for some mysterious reason, he couldn't dodge the large maces thrown at him by Kaori as a reward of his lecherous activity. Hideyuki understood everything. Time was going well. After about four years of the start of a new life (in form of the "FACE" of "City Hunter"), this happy moments came to an abrupt end. Hideyuki was murdered by a drug syndicate. Hideyuki's death completely shattered and baffled his sister Kaori, who moved in with Ryo to the apartment he and Hideyuki had jointly bought in an intention to make an office of their organization "City Hunter" The completely shattered girl, sought a home to return to, at the end of the day, Ryo gave her that! Just the day after she had shifted with him, Ryo took her with him in the evening. Kaori asked a dozen times regarding their destination, but Ryo didn't speak out a word. Initially, Kaori had refused to come with him, so sad se was, but after sometime, she herself offered to come. She said "Brother's memories are haunting me Ryo! They won't let me eat or sleep. What should I do? Can you take me with you? Can you make me like you? A homeless wanderer?" The word "homeless" had stung him, but he didn't mind at all. He took her with him to a skyscraper. "Hey! No one lives here! This is a private property! We shouldn't be entering in here" she had said, but Ryo had insisted "Trust me. Come" Kaori knew in her heart that however bad a condition might rise, she could always look forward to Ryo. She didn't refuse further and came with him up to the terrace. While looking at the sunset together, she had said "Don't ever leave me Ryo! Please don't" to which Ryo had replied with a Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile "Of course not! How can Saeba Ryo leave a mokkori bust alone!" Instantly, the result was as expected, Ryo's head was smashed against the wall with a 100 tonne mace from Kaori's hands.

Ryo came back to his senses, as the ambulance was now at a perfect halt. THE SHINJUKU CITY HOSPITAL had arrived. Kaori was … unconscious?


	31. Chapter 31: You'll leave me too? Ryo

... well, is she?" Ryo looked closely. He couldn't understand how an unconscious girl could look at him with her eyes open? Kaori was fluttering her eyes? Or was it just another misleading vision that Ryo was having just like some thousands that he had all this way? Just then Kaori's lips shook. Ryo brought his ears to her lips and during this, his eyes fell on the deep flesh-wound on her right elbow and his inner gut churned within him, imagining the amount of pain that she had possibly been going through, "Don't…..leave….me… alone…you …i…diot!" was all she could muster. After all, that went unsaid that Ryo would never leave her alone; especially when this was the same hospital where Ryo had to come the previous year due to Saeko's ploy to see 'dead' Kaori! Nothing much had changed here. After that Kaori again went back to her state of unconsciousness.

"Oh, who is Kaori Makimura here?" asked a lady in white apron. "She must be the doctor" thought Ryo, as, by then, his eyes had caught the name-badge on her chest. He said nothing, just indicated to the now-prostrate figure in front of himself inside the ambulance. He couldn't even come down from the ambulance because Kaori had had his hem of his blue overcoat gripped tightly in her right hand. The officers and some more nurses emerged from within, with a stretcher, to carry Kaori on, but they all stopped with a single gesture from Ryo's side. Ryo had put up his palm of his right hand, so as to signal them to stop. He then gently lifted off Kaori from the bed of the ambulance, came out of it and then gently put her down on to the stretcher laid out by the nurses. By then another police car was seen to enter the hospital compound. It came and stopped just beside the ambulance and Saeko came out of it with a soft yet sad face. Meanwhile, the group of nurses and the lady Doctor had proceeded to carry the stretcher inside so as to start the check-up soon, but as they did so, Ryo felt a gentle tug on his overcoat, and he too followed them, Saeko joined in too. After sometime, when they were about to enter the check-up room, the doctor stopped Ryo and Kaori "Sorry Sir, Sorry Ma'm! You can't go in!" she said and then indicated to the nurses to carry her inside. But they couldn't. When she understood the matter, she gestured them to cut off the hem of the overcoat. Ryo was not in a mental condition to oppose, but Saeko was the one who stood out. "What do you think you're doing?" She retorted as the nurses came back with a pair of scissors to sever the overcoat and take her in. The lady Doctor gently answered "Ma'm, Visitors are not allowed to enter the check-up ward during the check-up of the patients. It's our rule here." Saeko gave a faint grin, "If you think you can control her without letting him inside, you are vaguely mistaken. Let him come with her. I'll wait outside." The Lady Doctor looked at her with a questioning look, "And you are….?" She asked in confusion. Saeko spoke in a tired tone "I am the Chief of the Shinjuku Police: Nogami Saeko. I am the one who told you to be ready for this patient in the first place." She said. "Now can you please hasten? She doesn't seem in a very good condition!" she added having taken a quick glance at Ryo, who was looking at Kaori with a longing look in his eyes as if he had completely forgotten all about the presence of others around him. With her words, the atmosphere seemed to have taken a sudden twist. The Doctor hastened with Kaori and Ryo inside and the nurses closed the door behind them as they too went in…..

As the nurses and Doctor entered the room, Kaori was shifted on to a bed on the right hand ride of the large room. The bed was adjacent to the corresponding wall, beside which there was a stool with a pair of worn-out steel legs. Someone brought it closer and Ryo sat on it. Then the nurses went in their normal check-up duty of Kaori. The first thing that they noticed was the deep flesh wound on her right elbow. Blood was still dripping from it. Under normal circumstances, one glance at it and Ryo could tell that the bullet was still inside. But this was a completely different Ryo, a Ryo completely cut-off from the outside world, a Ryo solely immersed in Kaori. He didn't take a heed to the wound, he just kept a close look at her face and her chest simultaneously. The constant alternate heaving and relaxing of her chest sent him a message that she was with him. She won't leave him alone in this godforsaken world. Having discovered the wound, the nurses took quick efforts to stop the blood loss; it was the doctor who first discovered that the bullet was still inside. "Look closely you idiots! That's a bullet-mark, and the bullet must be inside as the wound has an entry wound, but the bullet exit is missing! See carefully before dressing it up!" she scolded to all three of them. The three of them got to serious work. The bullet was still in the wound. They took a pair of forceps and with some tries, succeeded in bringing out the bullet. Then they dressed the wound well. The dripping of blood stopped finally. Just then one of them spoke up "Doc, the girl's lost a lot of blood. Her pulse is somewhat strange." It goes unsaid that the nurse who said this was the one who was checking her pulse. In an instant the Doctor took her place. She was an expert alright, as soon as she touched her wrist, she exclaimed "Quick, give me a syringe and arrange a donor for her. Run! Now!" One of the nurses handed her a syringe. In expert hands, she picked Kaori's vein and drew out her blood. Ryo turned his face away and his heart bleed deeply, but he had nothing to do except to see her suffering her just because he accepted her love. As soon as she finished taking her blood sample she handed it to a nurse who ran out with it.


	32. Chapter 32 : Kaori, Ryo is afraid!

"Hello Mister, What's your blood group? Do you have any idea what her blood group might be?" asked the doctor with her right hand on Ryo's left shoulder; she was standing behind him. Ryo was as if in another world. He was still dazed and as such, he was unable to answer her. The doctor understood his situation, "Don't worry, we're gonna bring her back. Don't panic. It'll be just fine. Just give it some time." She said with an assuring smile on her face. After this long, Ryo's brain grasped the present situation, "Her blood is O-negative" he answered with a flickering voice. It was uncharacteristic of him to react like this, even he knew this, but the fear lurking deep inside himself, made him feel so vulnerable. The doctor just asked another question "That's pretty uncommon, and yours?" Ryo had no answer. How in the world could he know about his blood group? Never in his life did he ever go through such a situation where his blood group was mentioned before him. Ryo was about to say something, just then he felt a gentle tug on his overcoat, and looked down to the prostrate figure of Kaori, the doctor's eyes following his; what they saw was a surprise for both, Kaori was awake, she had sleepy eyes, it was as if she had difficulty in staying awake. She again pulled his overcoat, Ryo bent down understanding her gesture. "O…nega…tive." She whispered in his ears in a tired voice, "you…needed …. quite a lot!" she added with a pale smile. The doctor was observing all this very closely, but from the look on her face, it was evident that she couldn't understand even a bit of what's going on. After hearing her words, Ryo clearly understood what Kaori was talking about. Kaori's eyes met his'; and as they did, her face lit was lit up as if by the glow of a thousand heavenly lanterns, but all of that was momentary. The next moment, she was sleeping again. Ryo fondled her forehead, all the while calling out her name "Kaori, can you hear me? I'll be right here. This time I'm not gonna leave you alone!" The doctor had suspicion in her eyes, "Hey Mister, listen to me!" she called out violently shaking Ryo by his shoulders, "Did she wake up just like before?" she asked, eyes full of the fear of unknown. Ryo nodded in approval with a surprised look, "Just before we got down from the ambulance inside the hospital compound, she was awake just like this" then a thought flashed by his mind "Why do you ask? Is this bad?" The doctor didn't say anything, instead searched on Kaori for something, and moments later she held up her wrists of both her hands which bore needle marks. Tension in her eyes was evident, "Do you know what these are Mister? They're needle marks. She was drugged, and if I'm not too wrong, which I know I am not, then I can pretty well guess the drug she was injected with. Her vitals are falling" she looked at the still sleeping Kaori and said "She is gonna collapse. I'm afraid it's just like the case of the previous four girls where each of them died due to over usage of this particular drug" Ryo's eyes widened, "You mean to say that you actually know about this drug? How?" The doctor answered in a concerned voice, "It all started some six years ago…" she was about to tell something more too, but just then the nurse broke in who had rushed with Kaori's blood sample to run some tests. She seemed horrified, and tensed. No sooner had she entered than she burst out "Doctor, you're not gonna believe what I found in the blood sample. First of all the blood is one of the rarest group: O-negative. And then about the content….." The doctor cut her short with just one word "TEMAZEPAM….. right?" The doctor's face held sullen expression, and her jaw was tight. The nurse could say nothing more she just nodded. The doctor gestured to open the door and let Saeko in, for Ryo could now see that Saeko was standing outside. Her face couldn't be made out through the smoke glass, but her dress was enough to confirm her identity. As soon as the nurse opened the door, Ryo could see Miki and Umibozu standing there beside her too. Saeko gestured them to wait there and she came in. "What's the matter? Is she ok?" She asked. Although she said it pretty straight, Ryo could sense a tinge of tension buffed in it. The doctor said nothing, just nodded in refusal, "The same drug again! And this time too I'm afraid I won't be able to help. The usage had been too much for her. Her symptoms show the side effects already. She is presently suffering from 'Difficulty in staying awake' or 'Somnolence' in medical term. It's the first stage side-effect. I still don't have the slightest clue regarding the amount of damage it has already caused her. I am sorry to say that perhaps I won't be of must help this time too!" Saeko took turns looking at Kaori, then at Ryo! Never had she seen Ryo to be so vulnerable, it seemed that he might collapse any moment. Saeko neared the doctor and drew her to a side by her arm, "DO anything doctor, just save her! If you don't, you can't even imagine the outcome!" The doctor's voice grew tough "Are you threatening me Miss? I am a doctor by profession, and all that a doctor can do, is save a life which I do. But know this much that it's not always in the hands of man, that which is determined by god himself. If you think she'll be saved by your threats, you're vaguely mistaken." Saeko had a soft grin at the corner of her lips "Have you heard the legend of Shinjuku: The one that involves a holy spirit who comes through the message XYZ?" she asked….


	33. Chapter 33 : Kaori Needs Ryo Badly!

"Do you mean City Hunter?" asked the doctor with a childish laugh. "You're the chief of the police and even you still believe in such utter nonsense Miss? Legends are meant to be made a story out of! Legends are legends! Like any other, this is a farce too Miss. I suggest you to stop believing in such bullshits and give these murders some serious thoughts" said the lady doctor with the same childish smile on her lips. But this time Saeko's smile was nowhere to be seen, and instead of her, Umibozu answered from the door, walking in, to her as he spoke, "If you think that the legend of City Hunter is a mere story made to frighten kids, you're wrong Doctor! It's no story, neither is it a fairytale! It's a truth, more true than the life you live in. A truth, darker than the everyday world you see around yourself, a truth that is the sole reason for the people of Shinjuku to be able to see a new morning each day after the darkest hour of the night of the previous day," The doctor looked at him with raised eyebrows as if to mean "Who the heck are you Mister?" Saeko answered in his stead "He is a friend of the man there sitting on the stool by the bed of the patient. The….." Perhaps Saeko had something more to say, but Umibozu stopped her with the gesture of his hand, "That man sitting there, see him? He's the person you've been talking about: The City Hunter Saeba Ryo! That man…." Umibozu had proceeded to say something, but suddenly his jaw tightened, and almost at the same time something glittered in the hands of the person sitting by Kaori's bed in utter sadness. It was his favourite Colt Python. Within a flash Ryo leaped towards the door with his 'toy' towards Miki-San. The impact that resulted by his force, made Miki to go off balance. Ryo didn't have a slightest problem in rolling himself with her towards the base of the window panes towards the road-side wall. As soon as he reached the base of the window pane, he whispered in her ears "Get inside the room, and give this to Umibozu and tell him to look after Kaori. Tell him I'll be back soon, and remember to tell the doctor 'IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO KAORI, SHE'LL HAVE TO PAY DEARLY!'" Miki was shaken to her core, because Ryo's last words seemed like a cold blooded threat for life. Never ever had she seen him so serious. The Ryo she knew was a perfect pervert, who always got hit by Kaori's maces, who always passed drooling looks over by-passer girl's stats. This was a glimpse of a completely different man that lurked within a person she knew so well. Miki was truly frightened now. Within moments, Ryo disappeared from her side. Miki saw that Ryo had handed her a gun, a pistol. She remained down, and moved on her chest to reach inside the room. Once inside the room, she went to Umibozu and handed him the gun. As soon as he took the gun in his hands, Umibozu exclaimed "Makimura! Ryo, you idiot!" Now the Doctor exclaimed, "What's the matter? Where did that man go? Just who are you people?" for the first time since her arrival here, Miki san finally spoke up "Doctor, I think it would be better if you stop thinking about us, and start thinking about her" she pointed to the still-unconscious (?) prostrate figure of Kaori Makimura on the bed. She continued "The way I see it, if she's not cured, you don't stand a chance to see tomorrow." The doctor was evidently angry as well as horrified, "What do you think you're telling? Don't forget that the chief of police is present just beside you!" Saeko spoke in a reserved tone, "Are you mad doctor? I won't have THAT man chasing after my whole Police department the next day! You don't have the slightest idea what he's capable of! I won't risk facing him. The state he is in now, he won't think twice before pulling the trigger! It's the evil that speaks forth from him, not the human anymore. And by any chance if she (Saeko points towards Kaori) dies, Shinjuku will go down in flames and I will have no other option other than to stand watch it burn. SO doctor, DO ANYTHING, BUT SAVE HER! She is our sole hope of saving him as well as Shinjuku!"  
Finally the doctor understood the intensity of the situation, yet she asked one final question "Why is he so dependent on her?" Saeko answered "Cure her, and I promise I'll tell you!" Miki san came forth and asked meekly "When we were standing outside, we overheard you talking about a name TE…..PAM. What is that?" The doctor said with a wry smile, "Oh, so you've heard, have you? It's a drug: TEMAZEPAM. It's a banned drug in Japan, used only by USA presently. This particular drug is used in short term treatment of severe insomnia and other sleeping disorders. This particular drug can't be used over a considerable period of time because once the patient gets addicted to this drug, he/she starts taking it out of the predetermined dosage which in severe cases, can be fatal. The drug shows signs of over-usage quite quickly, the first and the foremost symptom being "SOMNOLENCE" or "Difficulty in staying awake!" This drug straightaway hits the Central Nervous System if used at a high dosage. Presently in USA Air Force use this drug as one of the Hypnotics approved as a "NO-GO-PILL" to help aviators and special duty personnel to get some sleep after a continuous aerial journey." The doctor paused for a bit to get her breath after having spoken for so long, "That'll be all" she said after some time.  
Just then a very soft voice was heard "Ryo…" Miki darted towards the bed without a second thought, Kaori's eyes were open. As soon as Miki-San's eyes met hers, Kaori's eyes lit up. "Mi…..ki Sa…n," then Kaori looked around the room with a lot of difficulty, and again her gaze got fixed over Miki's face "Th….at Idiot?" she asked with a lot of difficulty. Miki understood her unspoken words all too well. "He is out! But…" she had perhaps something more to say, but by then the stern voice of Umibozu was heard "That idiot has given your responsibility to me! He will be here by morning! Count on it Kaori!" Kaori gave a feeble smile before drifting off to a peaceful slumber again!


	34. Chapter 34: Thanks Ryo! Thank You!

Ryo was sitting beside Kaori, immersed in her thoughts: how she would hit him with a flying mace whenever he would go off stray seeing a girl with wonderful 'assets', how she would take care of him whenever he came home wounded, how she would stay awake the whole night for him whenever he was out on 'work'. She never ever tried to make him aware of what she did for him, but Ryo knew her all too well. She knew that she couldn't keep a secret from this man ever. Ryo would eventually get hold of all her secrets. Ryo was in deep melancholy, seeing these moments before his eyes just like a film of the time that can no longer be brought back, and then… suddenly, without any apparent reason, his 'City Hunter' sense awared him of a danger that lied ahead. Without a second thought, his hand got his 'toy' (His favourite Colt Python 0.357 Magnum) from below his overcoat as if by reflex as his body lunged towards the lady standing at the door: Miki-San! Ryo's long rigorous training had made him master his senses to their peak. He could hear cocking of a revolver at quite a distance, not only that, he could also make out a red dot gradually sinking on her head: A telescopic rifle! Although it seems like a long time had passed for this deduction, but for Ryo, it was a mere flash of seconds. These deductions came to him as his body had lunged towards Miki-San. He then kept her knelt down under the window pane and handed her Hideyuki's gun before he left the hospital and went out of its compound. Ryo walked on the road as a drunkard. He knew, he could sense that he was being followed, but he chose to remain silent. He was an absonant person again, just like he was when Kaori was apparently dead about a year ago. His steps went out of sync as he could hear a vehicle approaching him from behind. Ryo wondered "Does it pain to die?" then again another question flashed by his mind "Does it really matter? She is going through a perfect hell just because of me! She didn't have to go through all this if she hadn't chosen me! Why Kaori!" he then shrieked on the road itself "JUST TELL ME WHY!" Just as the vehicle was about to make an impact and end his life, Ryo saw a flash of a shadow, which shoved him off balance by making an impact on him from a side of the road. Ryo was a bit surprised as he went rolling with the shadow for quite a distance, out of the route of the vehicle. As he tried to het on his feet, he heard a voice from behind "Are you OK?" Ryo looked back instantly only to find Tachiki Sayuri getting up from the ground, dusting the dirt off her clothes. Ryo was not in a mood to shove himself to her in his lecherous forme, so he just nodded in approval. Just as he nodded, the inevitable question darted from her "Have you found Kaori yet, Mr. Saeba?" Ryo had an idea flash by her mind, quite a genius one. He said "Yes, I can even take you to her, but first I want a favor out of you!" Sayuri had a raised eyebrow, as if she meant that she already knew what the 'favor' was.  
"You would've been dead by now. That bastard really saved your life by mere moments Miki! Be sure to thank him when that moron comes back here!" said Umibozu as soon as Kaori seemed asleep. Both Miki and the Doctor looked at him in surprise. "HOW?" asked Miki, and the doctor was the one who was miles beyond the word 'SURPRISED' . All she could muster was "You…You're not bl….. I mean…" Umibozu for the first time grinned "Go on, BLIND. Yes, I am blind. I am proud that I am blind. The world I live in, has no beauty of colours and brightness in itself, yet the world I live in, is far better than the world you 'So-Called-Normal' people see around yourself each day, each moment of your life. I am proud because unlike your world, my world doesn't comprise lies, it's a world free of lies. A world where your sense is the sole truth. A world where one can observe the inner person lying inside a human being. Like for example I can't see you doctor,, but I can a tell a whole lot about you. The first being you're 5'7 and you're wearing YARDLY LAVENDER"". Then he turned towards the farthest corner of the room where the nurse was standing "You're taller than her, 5'9", and you've been using POISON I guess. Oh, and you shouldn't be wearing pencil-heels inside the hospital premises". Then he again turned towards the doctor "It's been not been much time, hardly 2 weeks I guess, right?" Then he turned towards Miki, pointing towards the wall just opposite to the door, "Go and take a closer look Miki, and you'll know how he saved you!" The doctor asked finally "What were you talking about? 2 weeks for what?" she asked. Umibozu didn't even turn to her, he answered her question whilst facing Miki "Your Marriage!" The doctor , the Nurse and Miki, all three of them were taken aback by the last comment from him!


	35. Chapter 35: Drug for a Drug (?)

"Don't you dare, you mean minded pervert!" snarled Sayuri amidst the busy road, such that nearly all the passer-by people turned to have a glance at the two of them. Ryo on the other hand was so as not even close to his lecherous side, in fact he was damn serious! At least Sayuri couldn't imagine a man so perverted and lecherous as Ryo to be so serious, so she was a bit surprised. "What's the matter?" she asked, concerned. Ryo instantly came out of the trance in a jiffy, "Nothing Sayuri Chan, Ryo was just thinking if you would spend a mokkori night with him!" he said, with his hands on Sayuri's arse and his famous Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile on his face that was characteristic of him whenever Kaori was around. It so seemed, the natural 'Ryo' was free at last! Sayuri gave a tired sigh as Kaori's famous 100 tonne hammer appeared in her hands which then flew towards Ryo's head! Oh wow! What an infinite accuracy! Seems like Sayuri had Kaori's accuracy when it came to throwing hammers at Ryo! As the hammer darted at Ryo, Ryo gave a gentle duck which resulted in the miss! Ryo was saved from the hit, but someone shrieked "Yikes! Damn!" from behind him. Sayuri ran to the person, completely baffled by the sudden turn of events. She never could've thought Ryo could dodge the hammer this easily! Little did she know that Ryo couldn't be hit that easily! It is a mere child's play for a person with the ability to dodge bullets, to dodge the large mace thrown at him.  
As to the question that normally arises, "HOW COME KAORI WOULD ALWAYS SCORE A POINT WHENEVER IT CAME TO HITTING RYO WITH a flying mace?" The answer was quite obvious "Kaori was the only one for Ryo, who had earned the right from him to do anything with him! Ryo knew that whatever she would do would be solely for his betterment! She would never ever think ill especially about Ryo!" On the other hand, this particular feeling was amiss when the person was Sayuri.  
As soon as Sayuri ran to the person, she felt her hand being pulled back by something. She turned to look, only to find Ryo was the one tugging at her right hand as a gesture which meant not to proceed any further. At first Sayuri wondered if Ryo was again in a mood to play some dirty trick, but then, one glance at his eyes, and she could see a completely different aura of the same person who acted so lecherously a few moments ago! Sayuri wondered "What kind of a person are you Saeba Ryo? Who are you?"  
In the hospital :-  
While the doctor, the nurse and Miki was baffled, another nurse rushed in the room with a vial, and a syringe in her hand. "Doctor, this is the last of the batch! We're out of it." The doctor was angry to her core! "How dare you say something so late? Quickly inform the medical department of this drug. I will be needing more of it as soon as possible" she almost shouted, losing her cool. Miki asked coyly "What is it doctor?" The doctor immediately regained her composure and turned to her, "DIAZEPAM." She said in a soft yet concerned voice, and then added "Just pray that this drug works. 'cause if this doesn't, no drug will." As she was about to inject Kaori with it, a known voice came from the door, "Will she be alright if this works out?" Miki turned around to find Ryo stepping in, limping on his right leg, a bit hurt, but fine. No sooner had he entered and tried to sit on the stool in front of Kaori's bed, he blacked out and was about to fall flat on his back, but for Saeko, who promptly came to his aid.


	36. Chapter 36 : Finally! Ryo is desperate!

The doctor was a bit surprised regarding the sudden entry of Ryo so oddly. As soon as Saeko got hold of Ryo, Miki rushed to help her. It was then that Miki exclaimed "My God, Falcon, Ryo-San's burning hot!" Hearing this, the Doctor came to prompt aid too. Ryo was laid on the bed not far from Kaori's where he was unconscious. Saeko was the one who noticed it first "Why does the right sleeve seem wet?" she wondered. As soon as she took a glimpse, all was clear to her. Ryo was bleeding profusely. His right elbow had a deep wound not only that, his head bore several injuries that were probably the result of his fall with Kaori from the construction site. With her experienced eyes the doctor checked the wounds, and it was not much later that she brought out a sharp stone deeply embedded in the flesh of his right elbow just above the joint. "My god! What does this man deal with?" she exclaimed within herself. Miki turned her face away when she pulled the stone out of his wound. She looked at his unconscious face, he was muttering something; she brought her ears closer to his mouth. "Don't worry Kaori! I won't be leaving you this time! I promise. Trust me on this one. I won't leave, I just won't!" was all she could hear. "Poor you! Still thinking about Kaori, are you? Is this what's called true love?" Miki wondered in her mind. Saeko could read his lips too, she was about to call out his name, when with a loud cry of "KAORI" Ryo cat back up on the bed. He was panting, his eyes were big! It seemed that he had had a nightmare! "How are you feeling now? You have fever…. - Oh no no. You're not getting up. You need to rest! Stay down!" The doctor had exclaimed as she saw he was about to get up from the bed. Umibozu stopped her, "It's no use. You can't stop him. When it comes down to her (pointing to Kaori) there's no stopping him. Only she's the one he is intimidated to! Let him up!" Saeko got him by his shoulder "Ryo, rest down for a bit! Please" Ryo just asked her 3 words "How is she?" Saeko said nothing, just implemented to her bed with a gesture of her eyebrows. Just then the feeble voice became prominent in the room "R…y….o, h….ey R….yo!" seemed like someone was calling out Ryo's name in a faint whisper. Ryo was beside Kaori's bed in a flash, in spite his injuries. Saeko painstakingly observed that Ryo couldn't even stand straight, he needed the help of Miki to stand on his legs, still with a lot of difficulty, he sat on the stool beside her bed. "How're you, Sugar boy?" he asked in the softest voice of the world, looking at those big eyes looking straight in his! "Been hi…tting on…the…girls?" Kaori was awake, she asked with a bit of frown on her face, with sleepy eyes. Ryo's lips had a gentle smirk as he nonchalantly bent his head low, "You won't change, ever Kaori! Would you?" he whispered. Kaori had a faint gleam on her face too, as she slowly put up her palm of her right hand. Ryo understood the gesture and held it! "Don't…..leave….. you idi…..ot!" she whispered. Ryo too said in the soft tone that was characteristic of him "Never ever again Kaori! I won't ever leave you again! I promise." Just then Saeko had her phone ringing, and she went out of the room to take the call. It so seemed that the call was from someone she knew very well. Umibozu faced towards her exit from the room as Miki was busy checking on Kaori. Kaori again muttered something, but now her eyes were closed. None but Ryo could hear that. He attentively heard "Don't, d-don't do it! I can't marry you! I just can't! I love him. You can't erase him from my memories. He is right here beside me." Then she shouted in her sleep "You hear that?" Ryo could get a superficial hold on the situation but the full scenario was not at all clear enough for him. Just then, he recalled something, and looked at the door. Saeko was still standing there. His glance again revolved to Kaori; she was sleeping yet again. With a great deal of difficulty, he got up from the stool and proceeded towards Saeko, all the while bearing a serious expression on his face, because he knew that if he showed them that he was hurt badly too, all of the people would lose their hopes. And with Kaori there, how could he let that happen?  
"Aren't you forgetting something Saeko?" asked Ryo, putting his hand on her shoulder. Nogami Saeko answered back "What would that be Ryo? And what do you think you're checking? Whether I am wearing my panties or not?" Saeko looked down, and so did Ryo! The matter was nothing except Ryo's other hand was hovering over her butt! "He he, how did it go over there? I wonder, Do…." Ryo was about to say something with an idiotic face but he was cut short by a sudden deadly slap from Miki! "Kaori san is there on bed. We don't even know whether she is gonna wake up or not! And even in this situation Ryo….. How could you? Don't you care about her even by the least?" Ryo said nothing, just stood up from the ground, and then limped towards the exit with a smirk on his face. Umibozu asked in a grumpy voice "What should I tell her?' Ryo said nothing, just waved his hand over head gesturing "Nothing". Saeko was beside Miki, she said "He may not look like it, but there is not a person sadder than him watching her quiet, lying down on the bed. You shouldn't have hit him Miki!" Umibozu was beside them too "Yes Miki, you shouldn't have slapped the moron. He is burning inside himself. That's the reason he came back, that's the reason he came with her in the first place. And Saeko, I think you should inform your department that your car is missing." Saeko looked at him in surprise, "What do you mean?" she asked. "Look at your hip, I bet the keys are missing!" Saeko was stunned as she ran her hands over her hip where she always kept the keys to the police car she was given from the department. Indeed, they were missing!


	37. Chapter 37 : Dragon! Friend or Foe?

"Damn Ryo! Why did you take the keys now?" whispered Saeko to herself. Umibozu was grinning, "So, you douche-bag, you think you'll keep all the fun to yourself, huh? I won't let you to do so! Miki, look out, where is he headed? Miki-San instantly lunged for the window at the corridor. After taking a brief glimpse, she said "He's headed towards the docks Falcon! I wonder why!" The red Ferrari that was Saeko's favourite, was nowhere to be seen as Ryo almost blasted off with it, to a supposedly unknown location. Moments later Miki-san came back to the room, her head drooped down as she spoke "He shouldn't have left her alone! Kaori needs him here more than anyone else, still he doesn't care for the least!" She said in a prominent voice. Now the Doctor spoke up after quite a long time "Sorry Miss, but that didn't seem like it to me at all. He cares for her (pointing to Kaori on bed) more than any of us probably can even imagine. I have had heard the legendary tales of the great City Hunter, but to be honest, I never believed in those tales. But seeing that person, I can understand today, that not all men are bad, that not all the tales were a blatant lie. There are great men like him too! Although he acts a pervert, I can guarantee that there is not a person clearer in heart than he is. A person who cares for a girl even when he blacks out, can probably do anything for her, can probably go to any extent for the girl. Now I'm really jealous for her!" saying this she looked at Kaori, sleeping peacefully on the bed while everyone in the room had a smile on their lips even in the dark hour of anxiety. Meanwhile, Saeko's phone rang again and she rushes out to take the call…...  
Ryo rushed to the docks because being a man of the underworld, had let him in to have a knowledge about nearly all the black-markets of the drug syndicates. Being the number-one assassin in the underworld, everyone had a 'thing' for him. It may have been hatred or love or respect, anything, but normally no one….absolutely no one tried to meddle in his affairs and that "City Hunter" identity of his, often made things easier than how it would have been. Ryo knew full well about the Drug Syndicate named "Dragon!" Initially the "Dragon" used to be a Biker Gang of 10 boys with the leader Fujiashi Tanaka, who liked to be called HONDA! That boy was no less than a perfect artist when it came to working on drugs. It was a hobby for him. He was especially good with chemicals and drugs, despite that, Ryo never turned against him because he worked on life-savers. He didn't work on addictive drugs and so Ryo had a bit of respect for him. Although he wasn't sure whether he could help him in this matter, still he decided to visit him for this grave situation. Fujiashi was indebted to Ryo because he had once saved the life of the girl he loved: Aikawa Inoue, and since then, he wanted to help Ryo back whenever possible. Not much knows about Honda or "Dragon" drug syndicate, but Ryo kept a detailed knowledge of nearly all the underworld syndicates. It was a part of his profession, the "CITY HUNTER" profession. While he was thinking of all this, Ryo's red Ferrari stopped at the docks. He came out. 3-4 men came running, with AK-47 in their hands. Ryo was calm as ever. Two of them pointed their gun on his head, and asked in a harsh voice "What is the Police doing here?" when Ryo said nothing, another of them replied harshly "Speak up or we shoot!" But by the time, the other two were trembling in their legs, they whispered to the other two who were having their guns pointed at Ryo "Do you even know him?" The Gun holders answered with a dainty laugh "All that we know is that he isn't the President of Japan! Like the hell we care!" The men spoke again "He is even worse than the President! He is the City Hunter Saeba Ryo! Let him through!" Hearing the name, the guns fell off from the hands of the holders, and they kneeled down to beg for mercy! It turned out that they had heard the name of this legendary assassin. They're new here, so they didn't know about him. Ryo said nothing, he just picked up the guns and handed them over to the men coldly before he faced the last man in the row. "The third boat with a green mast" he exclaimed! Ryo again proceeded towards the boat mentioned earlier, as he threw the key to the Ferrari back, at the person who rushed to park the vehicle at a more suitable spot! "This should be it" Ryo thought as he stepped in on to the third boat with the green mast. A man came running, "Hey this is a personal boat, its not a passenger boat!" Ryo said one word "Fujiaki!" That seemed to do it! The person instantly ran back to drive the boat away from the shore, into the open sea. Ryo stood in the open space, the cold saline breeze passing over his face seemed to add to his pain. He closed his eyes to savor the feeling and all that he could see was Kaori's smiling face before his very eyes. Kaori was smiling….. To see her fit and fine again, Ryo had to try to his last breath! He couldn't give up on her. The memories from the past year when he didn't have her by his side came rushing to his mind and with a shiver down his spine, he jerked his eyes open.  
Its been sometime now that he is on the boat. A large ship is seen now, floating on the sea. The boat is nearing it pretty fast. Within a minute or two, it was standing next to the ship. The man on the boat whistled thrice and a rope-ladder was thrown down. Ryo took it and started striving up to the deck of the ship where his destiny awaits….


	38. Chapter 38 : A Friend In Need

As soon as he stepped on to the deck, several men came running, with automatic rifles in their hands. Ryo was surrounded by them on all sides as he stood coldly. The "City Hunter" inside him was awake, judging the surroundings very closely. Soon a person came out through one of the doors of a cabin, accompanied by a golden haired girl in an attractive jet black dress. "RYO!" she exclaimed as she ran to him for a nice, warm embrace. Ryo kissed her on her forehead as he released her from his embrace. By the time, the person too came and stopped, inches away from him as he had a gentle smile on his face. He then turned away from him, and his expression turned to a wild one as he shouted referring to the armed men all around Ryo "YOU IMBECILES! PUT DOWN YOUR GUN AND GET BACK TO YOUR ROOMS. YOU'RE NO LONGER NEEDED HERE!" That seemed to do it! Within a moment, there was only the three of them on the open deck. "Fuji", called the girl, with a hand on his shoulder. He instantly turned back to face Ryo and the girl with a broad smile as he extended his hand towards the former. The female tugged Ryo on his left hand "Come to our cabin Mister City Hunter! We can talk all you want, in there" she said. Ryo accepted the cordial invitation from the male, taking his hand and giving it a nice shake, before he proceeded with the couple to their cabin.

At the hospital, Umibozu was preparing to leave. He had a slight hunch about the present destination of Ryo! Considering the medical emergency at hand, there's only one place he could get some help from: The Dragon Syndicate! Miki was continuously arguing with him, "You shouldn't leave her alone! He entrusted you with her!" she said. To which he replied, "Ryo will make even hell pay if anything happens to her. Just trust that idiot Miki! He will work it up. Nothing will happen to Makimura. And about me? I need to go, I have a hunch where he is headed to. I am not worried about him, there is information I need to check. I will be back shortly. Till then keep this….." he said as he handed her the same gun that Ryo had handed Miki just before leaving the hospital. The doctor was eying them with mixed emotions of suspicion, curiosity and horror. She just couldn't get a grip on the people she could see before her. "They all looked just like any regular…… sorry, this demon is an exception with a really demonic appearance with an army-uniform and a bald head. The sunglasses on his eyes will lead to people not to even think that he is visually challenged. Next comes that meek golden haired lady who looks frightened although holds unusual strong nerves in case of emergency, and after all, that mysterious character in blue overcoat on a red T-shirt and jet-black trousers. He was a real puzzle. It seemed all of the trio had their focus fixed on the same place, the girl on the bed. Who might that be, and what's the relation of the tetrad?" The doctor asked herself as she saw the large figure leaving the room with a final wave of his hand. The golden haired female in the room waved him back as he stooped a bit low to get out of the door of the room which was evidently NOT for someone of his stature and he then disappeared gradually amongst the busy public in the hospital, stomping the ground as he did so. Moments later his jeep was heard to rattle out of the compound and the sound subsided within a minute. Finally Saeko spoke up "So it seems that I have no use here, Miki. I think I will pass on to the headquarters before anyone comes to know about the disappearance of my Ferrari. After all it's a police vehicle. Ring me up if anything serious happens here. I will be here before you can even say 'Hello'" she said as she turned to go, but the doctor called her back, "Officer, don't you think that you'd better be searching for the missing vehicle instead?" she asked with a puzzled face. Saeko and Miki had a gentle smile on their lips, and after a while Miki spoke up "It's totally fine doctor. The Ferrari is in good hands. I think Ryo needed the vehicle more than Saeko and that's the reason he took it. He will return it when he's finished with it. There's nothing to worry about him." Finally Saeko turned to go out, but at that very moment, her mobile rang yet again. She hurried out of the door to take the call. It was someone she knew quite well. After a few 'OKs" and a few "HMMs" she disconnected the call and brought out her walkie-talkie to connect to the police headquarters to get a patrol car so that she can get there as soon as possible. Minutes later there was a police siren heard outside the hospital compound. Saeko rushed out because she knew that it was illegal to blow the siren within fifty meters of the hospital except under emergency situation. Saeko was in such a rush that she didn't even wave goodbye to Miki who kept looking at her go. Just then another nurse rushed in, "Doctor, we're out of the blood group O-Negative. I've contacted all of the blood banks close by, but none have given us any satisfactory answer. I am afraid that we don't have anything to do, we can't help the patient" she said as she came and stood before the doctor. Miki was cold as ever. She didn't know her own blood group, so she couldn't be sure that she could help Kaori. She decided to take a chance. "Doctor, can you please check my blood-group? I can be the donor for her if possible." The doctor looked at her in a bit of surprise but considering the present situation, she didn't say a further word. She hurriedly motioned to the nurses to get a blood sample from Miki. Miki looked at Kaori, "Hold a little longer Kaori-San. Ryo will be here soon. Please don't give up before that. I know he will work something out. Please bear with us" she thought. Within minutes the nurses took a blood sample from Miki for analysis. Kaori was still in her dreams.

"So Mister Saeba, you're asking for Diazepam? What do you need it for?" asked the golden-haired girl Aikawa Inoue. Ryo looked at Fujiashi, he too bore the same questioning look. The room they sat in, was sort of a decorated suite. The room was beautifully decorated with yellow walls and contrasting green shades of window covers. There were two large divans kept face to face at the centre of the room with a round crystal center-table. On one side of the room, there was an open bar, while on the other side, there stood a large jet black, shining piano. In short, the room they sat in was even more luxurious than a hotel suite. Ryo said nothing further, instead he stood up from the divan and proceeded towards the door, bidding them goodbye all the while. Inoue got up in a flash and got him by his left shoulder. "Mister Saeba, something's surely amiss in this whole thing that you are hiding from us. Please tell us, and I promise that Fuji will help you. Please Oniichan!" she pleaded as soon as Ryo turned back to look at her. She then tugged him back to the same divan he previously sat on, and the indicated him to sit down yet again. Ryo had no other option but to comply to their request. He knew that if anyone can help him get the drug, it was the Dragon Syndicate. No one could possibly help him other than them. So he had to obey them. As he sat down, Fujiashi rose up and proceeded towards the bar. He brought out a 1973 comet vintage and came and sat back beside Ryo. Inoue too sat on the other side. Inoue now touched his hand, "Brother, please tell us. By the look on your face, the situation seems pretty worse. What is the matter? Why do you want the drug so badly?" Ryo sighed, and then said in a low voice, "Kaori! She needs it to live." The couple looked at him with large, surprised eyes for quite some time before Inoue spoke up "KAORI?? By any chance you don't mean your ex-partner Kaori Makimura who died a year ago, right?", Fujiashi too nodded hearing the question. Ryo had nothing more to say, he just sunk his head yet lower and gave a silent nod. "Bbbb……. But….. H………How?" The duo stammered. Ryo was lost in thoughts, but after a moment, he found his grounds back, "It's a long story. I don't want to go into the details now. Right now, I need the drug. Can you help me Fujiashi?" He looked at the male, who was totally bewildered. He just gave a dazed nod, to indicate that he could. Moments later he came back to his senses and called aloud "FRANK!!" No sooner had he called, a man came in, clad in a formal uniform of white shirt and dark black pair of trousers. The black chequered tie with a dark blue Masonic Tiepin was a view to watch. The shoes were shiny black, as if a black mirror. He wore a dark blue blazer over the white shirt. He came in and bowed low, "Yes boss?" he asked quite respectively. Fujiashi spoke up yet again, "Get me 9947, quick!" he ordered authoritatively, to which the person bowed yet lower and left the room in a flash.


	39. Chapter 39 : The Silver Lightening

"It's been a long time since that bald man and the lady police chief left the hospital" thought the doctor. Miki could be seen sitting on the stool beside Kaori's bed, and Kaori was seeing lying on the bed as she was. It seemed that the faint attempt of Miki to be Kaori's blood donor, had failed miserably. The doctor and the nurses were running to get a proper donor for her, because they knew how critical her condition was. Miki was blankly staring at Kaori, with a crowd of thoughts rushing inside her mind, the center of all of which being Kaori. "Saeba-San, come back quick. Kaori needs you here" was all she could murmur below her breath. To be true, it's almost more than a couple of hours since Saeba san left the hospital. If her calculations were correct, Miki knew that he'd be back anytime now. Just then, she felt a movement in Kaori's hands upon hers. Her gaze shifted up to Kaori's face. Kaori was awake with droopy eyes. "He………..isn't here still………..is he?" she said after a bit of tired grunts. Miki was about to say something, but just then a very known voice came from behind her, near to the door "Hi there Sugar boy!" The voice was cold and calm as ever, but Miki could sense a tinge of happiness and excitement in the voice of the person she knew so well. It was definitely Saeba Ryo. She had no doubt about it. She instantly turned back to see if she was right. She indeed was! Ryo stood at the door. Just then Kaori spoke again, "Idiot!" Miki's gaze turned from the figure from the door to the prostrate figure on the bed. Kaori's eyes were beaming with happiness and her gaze was fixed on the door-frame, she couldn't say much, but her face said even more about her. Ryo came closer to the bed to take a closer look at her. Miki observed that he couldn't even walk straight, he practically dragged himself closer to the bed. Kaori's eyes were filled with tears. Ryo didn't have his eyes dry either. Miki thought it better to leave the two of them alone for the moment. Just as she stood up to go out of the room, Ryo brought a small white cardboard box from below his torn blue overcoat, and held it before her. Miki couldn't grasp the situation at first, but just then the fog in her mind cleared and she rushed out of the room to find the doctor, taking the box from his hands.

"How're you feeling now Kaori?" Ryo said in a soft voice. Kaori had a soft smile on her lips as she raised her hand. Ryo got the clue and grasped her palm in his. "Now I'm alright" Kaori said with the soft smile. Then her emotions changed to serious "Don't you dare……..hit……..on girls…….." she said in between deep breaths. Ryo had a knowing smile on his lips, as if he knew that she would say something of the kind. Kaori now clutched his palm hard as she drifted off into slumber again and at that very moment the doctor rushed in with Miki carrying the small cardboard box in her hands that Ryo had handed over. She came close and stood behind Ryo, "Mister Saeba, she needs blood. Her blood group is a rare one, so we're unable to find a good match up for her. If I'm not wrong, you share the same group as her. Can you help?" Ryo turned her head to face her as he nodded in a yes. "Then please lie down on the bed there while we check out the compatibility of both of your blood groups" she said pointing to the bed on the other side of the room. Ryo shook his head in a NO as he pointed to Kaori's hand clutching his own with a soft smile. The doctor seemed astonished at first, but then she whispered "Try freeing yourself Mister Saeba. And be quick. She needs it real quick" Ryo said "its OK doctor. You can arrange it right here while I'm sitting here on the stool here itself. I'll be fine. And besides, she needs me right here. I know she does." Ryo spoke the last words with his eyes on Kaori. The Doctor had nothing more to say, she just motioned to the nurses to take the blood sample from him. One of the nurses came closer to take the sample. Miki turned his eyes away as the nurse picked his vein, while on the other hand Ryo didn't seem to have a problem at all. He was so busy looking at Kaori that he didn't seem to feel the pain at all.

Miki San looked at the couple in awe. All she could remember about them was that whenever she would see Kaori and Ryo together, she could only visualize Kaori hitting Ryo with her large mazes. Never ever did she sense anything unusual, or anything romantic between them. Saeba-san would be busy passing drooling glances over the girls around himself while Kaori would always be busy curbing the emotions off him. Now that she thinks about it, Miki san thought "Ryo can easily dodge bullets. I've seen him do so a number of times. So how come he couldn't dodge Kaori's mazes right from the time I've seen them together? Could it be……?" Miki san's deep thoughts were cut short by the doctor. She was telling Ryo "My my…….Mister Saeba! You're a near perfect match for her! I don't know how, but a 96% match in the compatibility is by far the rarest thing for me to have noticed in my 10 years career so far! If you don't have any objections, we'll proceed with the blood donation now itself." Saeba took a momentary glance at his life in front of him on the bed, as he nodded in a yes. To bear a channel, this time the nurse tugged on his right hand which Kaori held tightly in her palm. Ryo refused to let go, as he put his left hand forward saying "Bear the channel here. Not on the right one" The nurse looked at the doctor, who nodded back at her. The nurse instantly got down in action. She really had a nice experience in picking veins. With swift hands, she picked his vein again as the doctor went on the other side of the bed, picking Kaori's vein. The blood pouch was hung just beside Ryo. Miki San was a bit bewildered seeing Ryo like this. Never before had she seen him to be so possessive of Kaori. Seeing him here like this, she understood deep inside herself, how deeply they were connected through their souls.


	40. Chapter 40 : Hopes are answered!

While the couple (Ryo and Kaori) were busy with each other at the Shinjuku City Hospital, Nogami and Umibozu were busy with a completely different motive. Both of them had plunged themselves into finding a simple clue as to who the kidnapper of Kaori was, and what his intention was behind the kidnapping f Kaori and the murder of the girls. Nogami was busy inspecting the side of the uncommon drug used on her, while Umibozu was busy inspecting the murder-side of the case. With them busy, a new dawn with new hopes for everyone, emerged out of nowhere. Miki, The Doctor and Ryo all had a sleepless night, and so did Umibozu and Saeko. No one knows where Sayuri was, so any guesses according to her whereabouts remains suspended. The doctor had calculated that it's been nearly the time to inject Kaori with the drug for the second time. She rapidly went into action. The blood donation was completed a while ago. In spite of strong resists from Ryo's side, Miki and the Doctor forced Ryo to work upon his wounds, bandaging them with medicines. Nevertheless, Ryo never let go of Kaori's hand. Miki noticed this with a teary smile. The blood donation brought a tinge of colour in Kaori's cheeks. Still she didn't come out of her slumber. The doctor was finally relaxed. Miki had once asked her the reason she felt so relaxed, to which she replied with a smile "I am relaxed because of him (pointing to Ryo) sitting by his side. As long as he's there by her, nothing can happen to her. I'm sure of this now. He'll be a shield to all of her enemies. And who knows? With him by her side, she may really pull through this one"

5:00 AM at the dawn (2hours after the second dosage of Diazepam)

Ryo had his head rested against Kaori's belly and his hands and Kaori's were intertwined by their fingers. Neither of them was prepared to let go of the bond. Ryo was practically dozing off with his eyes closed, when he felt a hand softly cuddling his hairs. In an instant his slumber disappeared and he sat back up only to find Kaori's hands on his head. He looked further up to find her staring at him with tears in her eyes. "Where were you? You IDIOT!" Kaori said softly, "I called out for you quite for a number of times, you know" she added. Ryo had a faint grin "I was always right here by your side. I had never left at all. Maybe you'd find me if you had whispered" Kaori slapped his cheeks softly in reply. Both of their faces had a tinge of blush, but deep down both of them knew that they had a bright day ahead of them which they intended to walk together. Miki was coming through the door with the doctor who was about to call out for Ryo. Miki put the palm of her left hand on the latter's mouth to prevent her from doing so. Instead she whispered "Maybe we should leave the two of them alone for the time being?" The doctor had a smile in her eyes as she nodded without a sound. Just as they were about to leave the place, one of the nurses were about to enter. The Doctor ordered her not to go in there for quite the time being and leave the two of them alone. "So……is she…….?" The nurse asked with amazement. The doctor nodded in reply. "Yes doctor!" the nurse saluted with a broad smile on her lips. She was happy with the recovery as well.

Inside the room it was a dramatic scene. Emotions that were hidden for years, were running loose and none of them (Ryo and Kaori) had any intention of curbing them anymore. Deep down in his heart Ryo always knew that he was weak only against Kaori, the lecherous side of him had become a farce long back when he had seen Kaori on the street for the first time. To be honest, he had fallen for the girl then and there, seeing her simplicity and straightforwardedness, while on the other hand Kaori had fallen for Ryo when he stayed by her side after the sudden death of her brother Hideyuki. Kaori was shattered to her core by his death, and the person who stood by her side, who practically nurtured her, and cared for her needs was Saeba Ryo! Strange, however his actions may have been, to be honest Ryo had always kept a hawk's eye over Kaori. Kaori knew this too and her emotions had at times almost forced her to blurt out her feelings to this man, but there would always be the lecherous side of this GREST CITY HUNTER to his rescue. Never ever in her time with him for the past 6 years, was she able to tell him the simplest thing that was the sole truth of her life; that she loved her. Ryo would always be busy stealing underwears of his beautiful female clients, and Kaori would always be busy curbing off his emotions due to the jealousy inside herself. Sometimes she would even ponder over the topic if she was the perfect partner for a man so lecherous. Nevertheless, she hung on. After all those days, THIS DAY seemed to be a dream. On the other hand, Ryo knew full well what was going on in Kaori's mind, but being the NUMBER ONE SWEEPER in the underworld, he knew well of the consequences if he accepted her love. So despite loving her deeply, he had to avoid the situations when he felt Kaori was about to talk to him on the topic. Ryo trusted her full well, but he couldn't accept her because he was in no condition to lose the dearest in his life. When he had stepped on the soil of Shinjuku, he was nothing but an assassin without a home, without a friend, and without a name. Kaori gave him his name. She was the first friend he had made in this city and it was she again who had given him a true home to return to, at the end of the day. So, on one hand Ryo was dependent on Kaori, while on the other hand, he couldn't accept her love in his life. But that's past now; a past that's long forgotten by both. Here, Kaori was busy running her fingers over his bandages. "Where is this place?" she asked for the first time, a bit more lively after so long and running a quick glance at her surroundings. Ryo said in a contented voice "Shinjuku City Hospital" then he added after a pause, "It's where I brought you Kaori." A mixed emotion of fright and horror suddenly flashed by in the eyes of the prostrate female, as she grasped his hands even more tightly "WHY?? WHAT happened?" she asked, trying to sit back up. Ryo kept a palm on her head "It'll be better if you take some rest. Trust me Kaori. As to why you're here, I think I can answer that. But we can talk after we get home. I want you to rest for now." Ryo said with a soft smile and a serious brow. Kaori had observed this. After all, living with this peculiar person for the past six years, had earned her the ability to see through this person a bit more than the others. She could understand that something was amiss on the situation, so she asked "Is everything alright?" Ryo didn't answer, instead, he just nodded in approval. "I need to go for now Kaori. Promise me that you'll rest like a good girl" he asked with true anxiety in his eyes. Kaori could see it, as she nodded too. "So now I shall get going, There are some unfinished business that the City Hunter must take care of. Bye" he waved his right hand as he turned the door-knob.


	41. Kaori is safe with Ryo!

As he walked out, Miki was hiding behind a pillar by the side of the door. Ryo stopped for a moment, and then turned towards the pillar, "Hey there Miki San! Come on out." Miki came in a hurry, obviously a bit surprised, "Sorry Saeba San, I went in the room, but seeing Kaori awake with you, I thought it be better if no one went in. So I was just….." She stopped midway as she percepted the aura of the man standing before her eyes. It was not the always laughing, nuisance, pervert, lecherous Saeba anymore. His aura had completely changed. It so seemed that he was a completely different person now. He raised his palm to stop her midway as he said in his calmest voice ever "Thank the doctor on my behalf, and stay by her side. I'll be back soon" Then he was about to walk away but he suddenly asked "Where is the gun that I had handed you over?" Miki instantly brought out her right hand from near her waist. There it shone, the revolver that Kaori's brother Hideyuki Makimura had handed Ryo as a sign of their friendship in his final moments. Ryo now started walking away from her as his voice was heard "Hold on to it till I come back, Miki-San and look after her. I am about to put an end to this." As he was about to turn away, he was stopped promptly by a soft touch on his right shoulder. He spun around only to find Kaori standing behind him, one of her hand on the door frame for support. Ryo instantly got her by his waist. Kaori, in response, let go of the wall as she put all her balance against his chest as she looked up to his eyes. "Take me with you! I don't want to be left alone again." she pleaded. This time it was not only Miki who was surprised, but also the doctor. Oh, the doctor was coming through the corridor, as she heard Kaori. She instantly came to Ryo's rescue. "There's no way you can walk out of the hospital in the condition you're in, Kaori. We need to observe you for a while. So please listen to me and stay on the bed for the time being. You can't even walk straight." But the girl spoken to, had her gaze fixed on the person she spoke to, her eyes pleading for unknown reasons. Ryo looked at her for some time before letting out a deep sigh. "You really are Makimura's sister, no doubt about that. Alright, Sugar boy. Come on" he said with a gentle smile, guarding her shoulder with his left arm. Miki was about to say something when Ryo extended his left hand before her. She got the clue and handed him the gun he had handed her quite some time back. Now the couple turned to go. The doctor just raised her voice to be heard "Saeba-San, Take care of Kaori." Ryo just waved his left hand over his head to acknowledge her while Kaori hung on to him by his right arm.

"Was it alright to let them go just like that? Kaori-San can't even stand straight by herself. She needed to be healed more….." Miki-san was about to murmur loudly a bit more of her chatter when she looked at the eyes of the doctor. Those eyes told Miki that she wasn't only happy seeing the couple before her eyes, it seemed that she was a bit jealous too! As Ryo and Kaori disappeared into the lift with the automatic door closing before them, the doctor looked at Miki-san, "She's at her best as long as he's with her. Mark my words ma'm. In my career of all these years, as an apprentice, and as a doctor, I've seen just too many couples. I have seen a lot more of them come to the hospital to abort, or even a greater part of them come here as a result of rigorous tortures of husbands on their wives. But today I have truly found the perfect couple in my life. I don't know how, but this couple comes really closer to my heart. I've never treated patients with a heart. I never cared about them while I treated them. It was a part of my training too. But Saeba-San and Kaori-San have opened my eyes. They have shown me that true love is far above, leagues beyond what I could ever possibly imagine in my life. Thanks to them, and to the police officer who was previously with you guys, that I was able to meet the two of them" she said with teary eyes and a smile.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY MIKI?" came the thundering voice of Umibozu in the busy day at his café; "The Cat's Eye", "THAT IDIOT HAS TAKEN HER WITH HIM?!!!" he shouted again, causing a few passer-by to fall on their noses, due to the sudden shock of a-so-"MELODIOUS" voice as his! It was already afternoon and Umibozu was in his underground target zone, below his café, It was a secret cellar, of which only 5 people were aware of: he himself, Miki, Kaori, Ryo and Saeko. Just like the one below Ryo's apartment, his target zone too was filled with rifles and military explosives of all sorts. Saeko knew full well about this. When Umibozu was a normal person (when he could see), this target zone used to be his pastime. Now it's a godforsaken room, filled with dust and cobwebs, since he hadn't been here since the past 3 years when he became blind. The past year was a mess for him too. He had to support Ryo to his knees when he broke down, because it was then, that the false news of Kaori's death was spread by the police. Ryo was badly shaken. Nonetheless, Umibozu always had a soft corner for Kaori, which led him to want to help Ryo even more in coming over the grief of her death. But even Umibozu was surprised to see how committed a person like Ryo could be! He never gave up on Kaori, even after hearing about Kaori's death. He always had a strong belief that "HIS KAORI" would come back to him one day. Because, according to him, Kaori couldn't possibly live without hitting Ryo at least once a day. Strange, though his reasons have been, Umibozu could feel the desperation in the voice which spoke the words. So he had to leave Ryo alone for the time being. After about half a dozen months, Ryo was surprisingly proven right and the "Old Meddlesome fool" the Old Doc of the Hanazano clinic came to them, bearing, perhaps the best news of his life, that Kaori was alive.

While Umibozu was busy recalling the sweet memories from the past, there was something else that was going on in the city itself. Miki was busy closing the café for the day and bringing out the four-wheeler and Umibozu was absent-mindedly loading it with guns…...

"You sure You'll be Ok with me?" asked a concerned Ryo, looking at the girl who couldn't even stand straight. She was practically leaning against him. The question momentarily stopped her legs, and her beautiful, world-winning gaze came and stopped on his eyes. Ryo's heart skipped a number of beats. He could smilingly die a thousand deaths some months back, just to get a glimpse of the eyes. "I am nowhere better off than here right beside you Ryo! If you're here with me, I am perfectly fine. Nothing can ever happen to me." Ryo had a gentle laugh on his lips as he sighed "Kaori!" Kaori had a blushing smile on her lips as she embraced the person of her life even while waiting for the lift at the corridor of the Shinjuku City Hospital.

The lift brought them to the ground floor from where Ryo took her in his arms and proceeded towards the Ferrari that Ro had 'borrowed' from Saeko. Kaori said nothing, just looked at him with surprise in her eyes, a deepening blush on her cheeks and a bit of frown on her brows. "Where are we going Ryo?" she asked sheepishly. Ryo said nothing, instead, just closed the car door and came around to take the 'driver's seat' and started the engine whispering "That's a surprise Kaori!"

The car went out of the hospital compound and out into the busy traffic of the Shinjuku City.


	42. City Hunter is Back in action!

As soon as the red Ferrari crossed Kabuki-Cho from Kaori and Ryo's apartment, a hoodless jeep was seen nearing them at a fast pace. Ryo looked at the rear-view mirror, only to take a quick glance at it as a smirk was seen on his lips. "Umibozu!" he exclaimed. As the jeep neared the Ferrari, it was seen that the jeep was full with four people – Miki on the driver's seat, Umibozu beside him, behind Miki was Saeko and beside Saeko on the back seat, there was Tachiki Sayuri who was practically leaning out of the vehicle to get a closer glance of the people inside the dark glasses of the red Ferrari, and there was one more male sitting beside the ladies in the back seat. It was the same male that Ryo had handed over to Saeko who was caught in his apartment. Ryo brought down the glasses on his right side and waved his hand out of the car. Miki caught up beside him in an instant. "Hah! Keeping all the fun to yourself you Jackass!" grumbled Umibozu. Just then, as if he recalled something, he shouted "HOW DARE YOU DRAG KAORI INTO THIS MESS YOU SLUG!!" Ryo made a wimpy face as he shouted back "AWWWW! Nobody loves poor Ryo! Ryo-Chan is so sad. May be a mokkori night with Miki-san will boost up my spirits!" Kaori's face was flustered with anger but she didn't react hot-headedly for unknown reasons. Following Ryo's vehicle, Miki took a steep swerve to her right, merely saving a run down as Saeko and Sayuri both beheld Umibozu turning red due to embarrassment as Ryo made the comment! Just then he brought out a bazooka from below his seat and aimed it over Miki with one hand, all the while grumbling "YOU SCUMBAG OF DIRT! I am gonna stew up your brains!" "YIKES" shouted Ryo as soon as he saw the bazooka and he ducked below the window level, bringing up the speed of the Ferrari! Umibozu shouted yet again "Stand Still you Moron! I can hear your vehicle! I am gonna blast you right now!" as he fired yet again, missing the red Ferrari by a long shot!

Even while competing, the team had run past the borders of Shinjuku long back. Except Kaori, who was lying on Ryo's lap, everyone knew their destination. Umibozu knew pretty well what the mental condition of Ryo was at the moment. Despite his sluggish appearance and his loud whining, Ryo was in a state to kill. He could sense the evil in him. He could read that Ryo was burning in the aura of vengeance, and that was the very reason Umibozu was trying to keep the atmosphere to normal by bringing out the perverted side of Ryo! Just then Kaori said from Ryo's lap "Ryo! Hey….." Ryo was busy saving the Ferrari from the shots of Umibozu, so he couldn't listen to it first, as soon as he did, he brought down his face near to hers, with a gentle yet serious questioning look in his eyes. Kaori could read it all too well. She said again "Tell me Ryo, you're not going to do something drastic, are you?" Ryo said nothing just looked away from her eyes and said with a tight jaw "I am going to keep my promise to Saeko and to you! Listen to me very carefully Kaori, whatever happens, DON'T GET OUT OF THE CAR UNTILL I TELL YOU TO. I don't want you to get involved in any mess anymore. Should anything go south, listen to Umibozu and get away with him. I'll………." Even before he could finish, he felt Kaori's hand on his cheek "Promise me that you'll come back" came a damp reply. "I don't want anything except you Ryo. I have never wanted anything besides you up until you! Whatever happens, just make sure you come back or else….." she was about to say something more, but just then Ryo's eyes met her's. Ryo now looked down to her eyes as a smile spread across his lips too, just like Kaori's. They needed no further 'meaningful conversation' 'coz their eyes said much more than they possibly could. Ryo gently caressed the red hairs on the female's head as the latter closed her eyes to savor the feeling with a gentle tug on the hem of the male's blue overcoat as she gently snuggled closer to the male.


	43. Chapter 43 : A duel with Partner

Soon enough, the red Ferrari came to a perfect halt. Kaori cocked her neck from Ryo's lap to see a huge mansion, ahead the large iron gate that was closed. The Mansion was surrounded by a beautiful garden. Kaori's heart skipped some beats when her eyes fell on the path among the trees in the garden that lead to the mansion. Ryo opened the door and went out, motioning Kaori to sit straight, and with a swift movement of his wrists, made sure that she had had her seatbelt on! Then he neared the automatic answering machine that was seen beside the pillar to the entrance. "Who is it? Please tell your name after the beep", came a mechanical voice as soon as Ryo went near it.

Ryo was as cold as ever. "This is Saeba Ryo!" he said in his characteristic calm voice. After what seemed like hours 'actually, minutes' a similar cold voice came from the machine "Well, well, City Hunter. Be my guest. I've been expecting you and so I have prepared a little something for you. Hope you like it. COME ON IN!" Kaori had beads of perspiration on her forehead. Her wide eyes were proof of how frightened or horrified her mental state was, but Ryo, on the other hand, was nonchalant. He coldly came and sat on the 'driver's seat' of the vehicle and started the engine. The gate opened now, and both of the cars entered one after the other.

Ryo, although was driving casually, had his senses awake like a hawk. The "CITY HUNTER" was back in his form and the 'LECHEROUS, PERVERT, GREAT WOMANIZER' of Shinjuku was dead, the moment the red Ferrari entered the compound of the mansion. Ryo's eyes gauged everything; even Umibozu was awake in his senses. Blind, though he was, with years of guerilla training, he had trained to master all of his senses to their peak even when one of them was rendered ineffective. He had his 0.44 Magnum in his hand. Miki and Saeko weren't sitting idle either. They were no fools. Although Miki was driving the car, she had her hand on the open dashboard of the car where her favourite 0.32 boar was sparkling. Saeko had her Sentinel Arms Custom Combat 0.44 Magnum cocked up in her hands. They knew that the way up ahead was going to be a tough one. Just then without any clear reason, Ryo's eyes widened. In a jiffy, he untied the seatbelt from Kaori in the blink of an eye as he jumped through the opposite door of the vehicle with Kaori clutched in between his arms. At that very moment, the petrol tank of the vehicle went up in crackling flames as it bursted into a sprinkler of fire which emitted splinters of metal. Miki had instantly stopped the hoodless jeep as soon as she saw Ryo jump out of the Ferrari. Saeko, Sayuri and Umibozu jumped out of the jeep from either sides of it and were there behind Ryo in a flash.

Ryo didn't focus on anything except the smoldering flames that was burning the red Ferrari before his eyes. Just then, a voice came from within the smoke "Hello Ryo! It's been a long time! We meet again!" Ryo's eyes widened as his hands brought out his favourite 0.357 Magnum almost reflexively out of its holster on his chest. Moments later a person was seen to come forth from behind the raging smoke of the burning splinters of the vehicle. The person had beautifully back-brushed yellow hair and he held a gun in his right hand. Although it was a simple automatic revolver, there was a white telescopic lens attached to it which corroded upon the beauty of the black beast (the gun is mentioned). Ryo had gritted teeth, "So you ARE INDEED here, Robert. I knew it! Besides me, it's only you who could attempt from the speeding vehicle and the terrace over a kilometer away from where we were." The person spoken to, had his gaze fixed somewhere else. The center of his concentration wasn't Ryo, but the figure attached to him: Kaori! Ryo observed this and his grip on Kaori tightened a bit. Kaori looked surprisingly back at him, but Ryo couldn't answer anything. Umibozu didn't move even an inch. Meanwhile, Saeko and Sayuri took steps towards Ryo, facing the new person as they did so. "You're the anonymous killer, Robert, right? The killer with the accuracy close to the City Hunter, isn't it? Your weapon of choice is the Nagan M1895 which is in your hands at the moment but you often use an Auto Magnum for close range shooting too! A person from the underworld just like Falcon here, and……." Saying this, Saeko turned to Ryo and with a twisted voice, said "Your partner. Right, Ryo?" there was a silent knife from her side. Ryo had, by then, come over his primary state of being surprised. He got back on his feet and helped Kaori up who leaned on to his chest for support. The stranger spoke again, but in a playful tone "I am surprised Miss Nogami Saeko! I didn't think that anyone other than from underworld would possibly know so much about me. You sure know your work and I must say you're good at it!" Then he again turned to Ryo as his voice was serious yet again "Ryo! If it were any other ordinary occasion, I would be happy to sit, drink and chat with you till late night, but as you can already guess, I am pure business at the moment." Then, pointing to Kaori with his gun, he said "My employer wants her for him." As soon as he heard it, Umibozu sensed Ryo's aura burning.. Saeko and Sayuri looked with surprise at the person before their eyes. They thought they knew the perverted, womanizer quite well, but this was a completely different person standing with Kaori close to his chest. Ryo spoke in his softest tone yet his voice had a deadly warning "Move your gun away Robert." Even the person spoken to, was a bit astonished before moving the gun away. Umibozu now came forth, beside him. By then, Sayuri and Saeko had a grip on the situation. Ryo was looking like a perfect messenger from hell with his head sunk low over his chest and his eyes burning in the flames of anger and revenge. Ryo caressed Kaori's red hairs with unwavering compassion and gently handed her to Umibozu who picked her up in his arms. Umibozu was a fatherly figure for Kaori and so it was nothing for her to be shy about, yet she opposed. When Umibozu was moving away from Ryo with Kaori in his arms, Kaori almost jumped from his hands to over Ryo. She verbally said nothing, but her tearful eyes said a lot. She nodded her head in a No, whispering "Don't so it Ryo! I'm right here beside you. SO you don't need to do this, please!", but all she could see in Ryo's eyes was loneliness, anger and desperation. For the first time in her staying with Ryo until now, she could read his mind. She could sense his loneliness and his fear of being left alone again and she could also sense the anger boiling deep inside his eyes for the person who had made her suffer. He wanted to fight for her. He finally had a reason to fight. Ryo had a faint sad smile on his lips as he nodded his head in a yes, and freed himself from her grip, patting on her head as Umibozu picked her up and walked away. She stopped him and whispered "Put me down Umibozu –san! I can walk!" Umibozu could sense the utter pleading and the tinge of remorse from her voice and he put her down without a further word. Kaori stood on the ground, supporting herself against Umibozu's abdomen as the male affectionately put his arms on her shoulders so that she might not slip down in any case.

Just then, the stranger 'Robert' spoke yet again, "So, Ryo! The rumor was true it seems. That lady means more to you than what meets the eye, isn't it? My employer had warned me that you would act south. So I guess this is how it will be, is it?" Kaori saw a sparkle in the eyes of the stranger as he said this and she turned to Umibozu, "Who is this, Umibozu-San? How does he know Ryo? And what was Saeko talking about him being Ryo's partner? I am Ryo's partner, am I not? So where does he come in from?" Umibozu's gaze came down through his sightless eyes, from the two men to the weak female he was supporting on her legs, as he gave out a deep sigh. "Kaori-San, I don't think Ryo would want me to tell you about these. There is a past to him that you don't know of. Before coming to Shinjuku, Ryo had two other accomplices. One of them was Robert and the other was Kenny. Both of them were tremendous shooters and just like Ryo, both of them aspired to be the top in the underworld. Due to this, Kenny had challenged Ryo to a duel. Kenny lost the duel and his life too and Ryo emerged victorious. But sadly, Ryo didn't want it; he didn't want to kill his comrade, but he had no other choice. When he came to Shinjuku, Robert had already left for a mission. Ryo was truly alone here, before he met you people, especially you, Kaori-san. You've made Shinjuku a home for that bastard. You've taught him to be a human again. You brought out the gentle side of him once again, that he had long forgotten about, both of us. It's all thanks to you Kaori-san, that Ryo is a normal human being."

"So stop the fight Umibozu-san! He doesn't need to fight for me anymore. I don't want him to fight. I don't want him to get lost like my brother. I hate my brother now, for leaving me alone in the world. If Ryo wouldn't be there, I wouldn't be alive perhaps by now. Call him back, please." Cried Kaori. Umibozu didn't move an inch from his place, and neither did he allow Kaori loose, to try and stop Ryo from having the duel which was evidently underway. Tairo, Sayuri and Nogami were standing beside Umibozu like statuettes. Now the stranger brought out the barrel of bullets from his gun. He put out all of the bullets except the last one. Ryo too brought out his gun and, after opening the safety catch, extracted all of the bullets, leaving one, in it. Umibozu now stepped forward, giving Kaori's responsibility to Saeko who had promptly come to her aid, breaking the silence with his calm and unwavering heavy voice "I will be the official witness to the duel, any objections?" Both of the men (Saeba and Robert) nodded in a 'NO' silently before closing the gun in each of their hands and putting it back in its holster. But Robert suddenly raised his left hand. Umibozu and Ryo, both looked at him in unison. Robert calmly brought out his gun yet again, and started unwinding the screw that held the white telescopic lens to the gun. After getting it loose from the gun, he brought down his left hand and held it, while keeping the gun back in its holster yet again. "This will be the trigger. We'll go off when this hits the ground. Is that fine?" he asked calmly. Umibozu and Ryo both nodded again in a 'YES'. The stranger now tossed the lens high up in the air.


	44. Chapter 44: City Hunter will be there!

On the other hand, Kaori was getting restless with each passing moment. Ryo, dying before her eyes was the last thing she could dare to see with her very own eyes, but she knew full well that in the profession Ryo was in, he would possibly die the very same way as was the situation before her. She saw the white telescopic lens in the hands of the stranger, and she knew that they would start off any time soon enough, Having stayed with Ryo for the past six years, she had learnt a lot about the underworld of Shinjuku and about the atmosphere Ryo worked in. She knew that Ryo was always surrounded by enemies, if not of his own kind. Kaori wanted Ryo to be far from dangers but at the same time, she didn't want Ryo to let Hideyuki's efforts of starting the organization 'CITY HUNTER' go down in vain. So she couldn't bring herself to talk about it to Ryo. But the truth is, ever since she fell for Ryo, she had been afraid each moment that Ryo would leave her alone just like her brother did and die alone...

Coming to the present situation, Kaori's legs could take no more. They gave way and she broke down on the ground, kneeling, and covered her face in the palm of her hands. Saeko, Miki and Tairo, instantly came beside her and asked about her well being. Kaori couldn't answer; in fact, she didn't have the courage to look up anymore, till the duel was finished. Just then Ryo's voice was heard, cold as ever "Look up Makimura! It's unlikely of you to look down in this situation. Face the fact…" as he said, there was a soft 'click' heard not far from where he and Robert stood, facing each other. In a time, even less than an eye-blink, both Ryo and Robert had their guns out of their holsters and had it aimed at the other. Kaori looked up helplessly with teary eyes as she shrieked involuntarily "RYOOOOOOOOO!" It was so sudden that even Umibozu, Miki, Tairo and Saeko all looked at her. Ryo had, by then, sat down on the ground, keeping his revolver on the ground in the process, as he clutched the bicep of his right hand with his left. His face bore the expression of a fierce pang of pain. Kaori could take no more, as she scrambled up on her legs, gathering the last bit of her strength and made a wild dash for him with tears in her eyes. Umibozu was nonchalant as a mountain. He was still observing. Within moments, Kaori reached Ryo's side as she knelt down over the kneeling the kneeling male, with tears in her eyes in the fear of the unknown. "RYO! Are you alright?" She asked with her hand on his head. Ryo, even in that pain, looked up to her eyes; those eyes, which were teary due to him, and said "It's alright!" Just then Saeko, Tairo and Miki saw with surprise that Robert broke down, and the gun fell off from his hands. "So you're the same Saeba. When with a gun, you never miss your target, do you?" he murmured as his prostrate figure fell flat on the ground.

Ryo scrambled to his feet and went close to him, touching him on his knuckles, "I am sorry Robert, but I didn't have any other way." He murmured.

"It's okay. If anyone's going to shoot me down, I always hoped it would be you, Ryo. Even after all this time, I couldn't beat you, could I! I can now die a contented man. Just look out for Sophie when I am gone, Saeba. She'll misunderstand you and come after you soon. Her life should not end like mine. She deserves a better life than I could give her. Promise me…." Robert said in a face with a contented smile.

Ryo said nothing, just gripped his knuckles tighter as the former took his last breath. "It should not have ended like this!" murmured an even more enraged Ryo. Just then he felt a touch on his right shoulder. Ryo turned back only to find Kaori standing behind him, one hand on his shoulder and another hand, holding his revolver tightly. She said nothing, but her eyes pleaded for him to stay away from this. Ryo finally got back up and extended his hand before her. But surprisingly Kaori didn't hand him over his gun. Instead, she brought the gun closer to her bosom and pleaded "Ryo, You don't need to do this. Let's return back to our home. Please. I can't go through any of this anymore. Just spare me….. You'll get the gun only when you promise me that you'll…." Ryo stood motionless. Umibozu was about to say something, but Miki held his hand, indicating him to be quiet. Ryo suddenly slapped Kaori hard even before she could finish. Umibozu, Miki, Saeko, Sayuri and Tairo watched in awe as the gun clattered on the floor while Kaori stood flabbergasted. For the first time in her staying with Ryo, she was slapped, and that too by him. Normally Ryo would never oppose Kaori, No matter how unmindful her requests might be Ryo always held on to her wishes. But today? Ryo straightaway slapped her hard on her face. Kaori stood surprised as tears of insult and embarrassment ran down her cheeks while her eyes begged for the reason of the assault.

Saeko and Sayuri now proceeded forward towards the couple while Umibozu went towards Tairo. Umibozu had a gun in his left hand, which he handed the male. "Take it. Use it when you feel endangered. Keep it cocked" he said with a heavy voice. By now Saeko and Sayuri had reached on either side of Kaori. Saeko looked up at Ryo. She was about to say something when out of the blue her eyes fell on his face. His face was still sunk on his chest and she could see tears running down his chin as his hairs covered his eyes. By then Sayuri too had observed this. "Why don't you listen to her Saeba San?" she asked a bit sheepishly. Even Sayuri didn't know why her voice sounded so shaky! Ryo now looked up and both Saeko and Sayuri stepped back in fear and astonishment. Both of them were taken aback to see the change in his eyes. Saeko was accustomed to the lecherous side of Ryo, but this deadly stare in his eyes was never seen before. Even Sayuri had, by now grown at ease with the perverted side of this man. Never even in her dreams, could she imagine the stone cold murderous stare from such a person. Ryo coldly wiped off the tears with the back of his left hand while bending down to collect the gun with his right hand. Everyone was frightened of Ryo, even Umibozu, but Kaori was too surprised to let any other emotion loose in her heart. On one hand it made her really anxious for the well being of this particular person, and on the other, it pained her to recall the loneliness that she had seen in his eyes some time back. By now Kaori had come over her primary state of being surprised. She was shaking in her knees, she could feel each and every muscle in her body yearning for rest, but her mind just wanted to return home with that one person before her eyes.


	45. Chapter 45 : Yes I love you Kaori!

Ryo stood straight up, after collecting his gun. He was loading it with bullets when he felt that soft touch on his right shoulder. His insides was churning with pain from having to hit the one person who was dearest to him; perhaps even leagues more than himself. From the moment he hit her, he had totally forgotten the bullet wound on his right arm; all that mattered to him was the hit on her. He steeled his muscles and his nerve, not to look back. Kaori now dragged on his shoulder to make him face her, calling on his name softly "R….yo!" Ryo's feeble defense gave way and he had to turn back to face her. He knew in his heart that he could turn back on the entire world, but not from her. "Why are you so adept for revenge Ryo? Why is it that I must have the fear of losing someone close to me? Why Ryo? At first it was brother Hideyuki, and now you want to follow him? Tell me Ryo….. Why should I stand to lose every time someone gets self-righteous? Wasn't brother's loss enough? He left me to you, and now you want to leave me alone?" asked Kaori with tears in her eyes. Ryo's 'steeled' muscles and his nerves gave way against her tears and he pulled her face up by her chin with his index-finger. "I'm not going anywhere you idiot! I'm never going anywhere, leaving you alone. You get that? I just want to stop all this and save the girls. I want to make him suffer, just like the suffering that I went through in the past year. And I am not listening to you this time. So get back and leave me alone." Then he turned to Umibozu and said a bit louder "Falcon, look after her till I'm back. If anything happens to her, you're toast!" His final words sounded like a silent warning, nonetheless, Umibozu nodded in a 'yes' as Ryo too gave a silent nod before proceeding forward. Kaori had tried to follow on his footsteps, but even before she could put her left leg forward, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. It was Umibozu-san. He nodded in a "No", looking at the figure of Ryo, slowly proceeding towards the mansion as Kaori's legs gave way and she sat down yet again. Ryo's words were a bit of hope for her, but his last words "I want to make him suffer, just like the suffering that I went through in the past year. And I am not listening to you this time" were running inside her head and she was growing tensed. She knew full well about the capabilities of Ryo. Under normal circumstances, Ryo, even in his playful mood, is way above the best person in underworld in terms of reflex and skills. But this time it's a completely different story; Ryo is angry! Even Kaori haven't seen him angry ever. In fact all she could ever visualize about him, was an intimidated Ryo, afraid of her hammers. This was nothing as such! "Be well Ryo! Don't die!" she murmured, as she could feel her legs giving away in pure despair as she was compelled to sit on the ground.

"Saeko and Sayuri were too surprised to even speak. Umibozu was standing beside Kaori with a heavy heart and a blank stare at the figure that was going farther from him with each passing moment. Tairo was looking at everyone with blank glances. He was totally new to this different world. Although he was surprised to see Robert here, who had sent him to Ryo's apartment, his death surprisingly didn't affect him much. But to him, the most peculiar thing seemed to be the man clad in blue overcoat and red t-shirt and the redheaded girl who wore a knee length yellow skirt with a yellow top, with a brown ribbon around her waist. Something was different about her too. She had an appearance that was leagues beyond anyone hardcore from underworld. Everyone seemed to like them. Tairo didn't know the reason, but with what caught his blank gaze was that the person cared for the redheaded girl more than anyone could imagine.


End file.
